HC Deb 17 January 1997 vol 288 cc397-8W
Mr. Winnick

To ask the Lord President of the Council if he will list the five hon. Members who most frequently had one of the first five oral questions to the Prime Minister on the Order Paper since the beginning of the Session. [9951]

Mr. Newton

The hon. Members listed have appeared more than once in the top five on the Order Paper for oral questions to the Prime Minister between the start of the current Session and 18 December. In that period, there were 15 Prime Minister's Question Times. The total number of times each Member has appeared is shown in brackets after their name.

  • Mr. Edward O'Hara (3)
  • Mr. D. N. Campbell-Savours (2)
  • Mr. Malcolm Chisholm (2)
  • Roseanna Cunningham (2)
  • Mr. Harry Greenway (2)
  • Mr. John Hutton (2)
  • Mr. John Marshall (2)
  • Sir Irvine Patnick (2)
  • Mr. Dennis Skinner (2).

Mr. McNamara

To ask the Lord President of the Council how many hon. Members have had questions lost since the contract with the Stationery Office commenced. [10728]

Mr. Newton

I have been advised that there has been one incident, on 17 December, when a single batch of eight questions from five hon. Members was lost.

Mr. McNamara

To ask the Lord President of the Council when he expects to receive an apology from the Stationery Office about hon. Members' lost questions; and when he expects hon. Members to receive apologies. [10725]

Mr. Newton

I am advised that the chairman of the Stationery Office wrote to the Speaker on 19 December, apologising for the incident. He also sent a letter of apology to four of the five hon. Members whose questions were lost. I understand that the fifth has not yet been identified.

Mr. MacNamara

To ask the Lord President of the Council what assessment he has made of the security of hon. Member's questions at the Stationery Office. [10708]

Mr. Newton

I am advised that a review of the process for dealing with Members' questions is being undertaken by the Stationery Office in consultation with House officials. In the meantime, the photocopying of Members' questions immediately on arrival at the Parliamentary Press has been introduced as a safeguard.