HC Deb 04 March 1997 vol 291 cc596-7W
Mrs. Clwyd

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many questions were tabled for reply by his Department in each Session since 1979–80; in how many instances in each year the reply has been that providing the information involved disproportionate cost; and in how many instances in each year questions have been given the reply that the information was not available centrally. [16796]

Sir Paul Beresford

A list of the number of written and oral PQs answered by my Department in the Sessions 1982–83 to 1995–96, as supplied by the parliamentary on-line information service unit, is given. This information is also available in the House Library. Figures for 1979–80 to 1981–82 are not available.

Year Written Oral
1982–83 1,457 367
1983–84 4,181 626
1984–85 3,328 370
1985–86 3,624 415
1986–87 2,355 290
1987–88 5,214 554
1988–89 4,911 423
1989–90 5,947 369
1990–91 3,233 367
1991–92 1,513 182
1992–93 5,029 541
1993–94 3,301 377
1994–95 2,970 405
1995–96 2,481 317

Providing the number of instances in each year that questions have been given a reply of disproportionate cost or that the information was not held centrally would themselves involve disproportionate cost.