§ 61. Mr. J. Howardasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the current cost of preparing a reply to a Parliamentary Question, including the preparation of information necessary to deal with supplementary questions; and how this compares with the cost of replying to a similar question by letter.
Mr. AmoryI regret that the calculation of average costs of either alternative would entail an unjustifiable outlay of time and money. There is little doubt that the average cost of preparing answers to Questions would be substantially higher than replies to letters.