§ Ms LynneTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department on what occasions since April 1992 Ministers from his Department have(a) requested Parliamentary Counsel to assist in preparing amendments to private Members Bills on behalf of other private Members and (b) authorised officials to instruct Parliamentary Counsel to prepare amendments which were subsequently passed to private Members.
Mr. John M. TaylorParliamentary Counsel does not draft on behalf of private Members but on the instructions of Departments acting on the authority of Ministers. Since April 1992 neither the Lord Chancellor nor I have authorised officials to instruct Parliamentary Counsel to prepare amendments to private Members' Bills which were subsequently passed to private Members.