§ Mrs. ClwydTo ask the Prime Minister how many questions were tabled for reply by his Department in each Session since 1979–80; in how many instances in each year the reply has been that providing the information involved disproportionate cost; and in how many instances in each year questions have been given the reply that the information was not available centrally. [16794]
§ The Prime MinisterA list of the total number of oral and written parliamentary questions answered by Government Departments in the Sessions 1982–83 to 1995–96, as supplied by the parliamentary on-line information service unit, has been placed in the Library of the House.
Figures for 1979–80 to 1981–82 are not available. My Office estimates that over the past year approximately 1 per cent. of the total number of parliamentary questions were not answered because of disproportionate costs or because the information requested was not held centrally.
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