§ Mr. NellistTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many parliamentary questions for written answer have been answered by his Department so far this Session, and in the comparable period for the last Session; and if he will publish a table of how many answers(a) do not give the information requested because of (i) disproportionate cost or (ii) other reasons, (b) give an undertaking to write to the hon. Member who asked the question and (c) were referred for answer to the chief executive of each next steps agency.
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydIncluding the aid wing, this Department has answered 1,989 written questions so far this Session. This compares with 2,203 questions for the comparable period in the 1989–90 Session. Nine from the current session were referred for answer to next steps' chief executives. None was referred during the previous Session. The rest of the information requested is not centrally recorded and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.