Questions for Written Answer

HL Deb 17 July 1998 vol 592 c59WA

Lord Kilbracken

asked the Leader of the House:

How many Questions for Written Answer were put down by Lords in the 12 months before and after the last general election; and what is his estimate of the average time spent in answering them. [HL2751]

The Lord Privy Seal (Lord Richard)

The number of Questions for Written Answer put down is not kept. The number of Answers to Questions for Written Answer is as follows (it should be noted that on occasion a number of related questions from the same Peer may be grouped together to receive one overarching Answer):

• for the period 30 April 1996 to 1 May 1997—2,296 answers were given to Questions for Written Answer; and
• for the period 2 May 1997 to 3 May 1998—3,524 answers were given to Questions for Written Answer.

It is not possible to give an exact figure for the time spent answering Questions for Written Answer but, on average, questions are answered in about two weeks.