§ Dr. WrightTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if answers sent to hon. Members in reply to parliamentary questions by the head of executive agencies in his Department are(a) seen, (b) approved and (c) amended by him before they are sent; and if he will identify such letters to which amendments by him have been made in 1994–95. [7832]
§ Mr. ArbuthnotParliamentary questions are passed to the head of an executive agency for reply when the matter is delegated to him or her under the agency framework document. The relevant Minister normally sees a copy of the reply before it is sent, but would not normally intervene in operational matters. No record is kept of occasions when Ministers propose amendments to the terms of a chief executive's reply, though such instances are rare.