HC Deb 18 April 1995 vol 258 cc3-4W
Mrs. Ann Taylor

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) how many times in each year since 1979–80 his Department has given a reply to a parliamentary question which has resulted in the information requested being placed in the Library and not printed in theOfficial Report; [18445]

(2) how many parliamentary questions to his Department in each year since 1979–80 requesting a priority written answer or answer on a named day, were answered within three days; how many received a holding reply; and how many of those which received a holding reply then received a substantive answer within a further five, 10, 15, 20 days or longer; [18444]

(3) how many times in each year since 1979–80 his Department has written to a right hon. or hon. Member correcting an answer to a parliamentary question. [18446]

Mr. Baldry

The information requested is a matter of public record but it could be extracted in the form requested only at disproportionate cost.

Mrs. Ann Taylor

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) how many parliamentary questions to his Department were transferred for answer to the chief executive or other senior official of a non-departmental public body or agency for which he has responsibility in each year since 1979–80 or for each year that the body or agency has been in existence; [18447]

(2) how many parliamentary questions to his Department that were transferred for answer to the chief executive or other senior official of a non-departmental public body or agency for which he has responsibility received an answer which was not printed in the Official Report in each year since 1979–80 or for each year that the body or agency has been in existence. [18448]

Mr. Baldry

The Department has transferred no parliamentary questions to non-departmental public bodies since 1979–80.

The number of written parliamentary questions referred to next steps agencies by this Department is as follows:

  • Session 1992–93: 7
  • Session 1993–94: 4
  • Session 1994–95: 6

Information for previous Sessions is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

It is normal practice to print answers from the heads of our agencies in the Official Report.

Mrs. Ann Taylor

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many parliamentary questions requesting an ordinary written answer were received by his Department in each year since 1979–80; and how many such questions received a substantive answer within 10, 15, 20 days or longer. [18443]

Mr. Baldry

The number of written parliamentary questions for ordinary answer received by the Department, excluding the Overseas Development Administration, are as follows:

  • Session 1991–92: 223
  • Session 1992–93: 1,461
  • Session 1993–94: 1,054
  • Current session to date—587

The figures for the Overseas Development Administration are as follows:

  • Session 1990–91: 256
  • Session 1991–92: 197
  • Session 1992–93: 685
  • Session 1993–94: 799
  • Current session to date—305

It is not possible to identify those questions that received an answer within a given time period without incurring disproportionate cost.