HC Deb 03 June 1985 vol 80 cc39-40W
Mr. Peter Bruinvels

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many and what percentage of the questions set down on the Order Paper for priority written answer by him in (a) Session 1983–84 and (b) the current Session to date have initially received a holding reply.

Mr. Patrick Jenkin

The information is as follows:

Session
1983–84 1984–85 (to date)
Total number of priority written questions answered 2,166 1,220
Number of holding replies issued 66 92
Number of holding replies issued, as a percentage of the total number of questions answered 3.04 7.54

Source: Departmental Statistics

It should be noted that the count produced by the POLIS system in the House Library will differ from the above figures in that on POLIS:

(a) the oral count includes only those oral questions actually reached plus supplementaries counted as separate questions and

(b) the written count includes orals not reached, writtens, priority writtens and holding replies all counted as separate questions.

The overall POLIS count will therefore exceed the departmental count.

Mr. Peter Bruinvels

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many parliamentary questions have been answered by Ministers in his Department in each of the last three complete Sessions, and the current Session to date; if he will break these figures down into questions tabled as oral questions, priority written questions and ordinary written questions respectively; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Patrick Jenkin

The information requested is as follows:

Session
1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 (to date)
Oral questions 398 314 673 297
Priority written questions 1,063 .609 1,986 1,220
Ordinary written questions 1,050 755 1,915 937
Total 2,511 1,678 4,574 2,454

Source: Departmental Statistics.

It should be noted that the count produced by the POLIS system in the House Library will differ from the above figures in that on POLIS:

(a)the oral count includes only those oral questions actually reached plus supplementaries counted as separate questions and

(b)the written count includes orals not reached, writtens, priority writtens and holding replies all counted as separate questions.

The overall POLIS count will therefore exceed the departmental count.