§ John ThursoTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) how many(a) Ordinary Written and (b) Named Day Questions her Department received in (i) the 2002–03 and (ii) this parliamentary session up to the most recent date for which figures are available, broken down by month; [170776]
(2) what proportion (a) Ordinary Written Questions to her Department were answered within five sitting days of tabling and (b) Questions for a Named Day received a substantive answer on that day in (i) 2002–03 and (ii) this parliamentary session up to the most recent date for which figures are available, broken down by month. [170777]
§ Ms HewittThe information requested is as follows:
441W
Ordinary Written Pqs Named Day Pqs Total answers Answers within 5 days Total answers Answers on named day Number Number Percentage Number Number Percentage Recess 45 30 67 September 158 140 89 Recess 53 47 89 October 211 183 87 November 323 253 78 Total 2867 2293 80 723 247 34 2003–04 November 0 0 0 0 0 0 December 225 190 84 58 18 29 January 405 317 78 71 26 48 February 340 230 68 72 24 35 March 458 338 74 105 39 22 April 251 225 90 30 10 27 Total 1679 1300 77 336 117 32 Note: DTI figures are based on sittings days. We endeavour to answer all Parliamentary Questions within the Parliamentary deadlines whenever possible. In addition I refer the hon. Gentleman to a reply given by my right hon. Friend the Leader of the House on 3 March 2004, Offical Report, column 907W.