§ Mrs. ClwydTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment 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. [16796]
§ Sir Paul BeresfordA list of the number of written and oral PQs answered by my Department in the Sessions 1982–83 to 1995–96, as supplied by the parliamentary on-line information service unit, is given. This information is also available in the House Library. Figures for 1979–80 to 1981–82 are not available.
597W
Year Written Oral 1982–83 1,457 367 1983–84 4,181 626 1984–85 3,328 370 1985–86 3,624 415 1986–87 2,355 290 1987–88 5,214 554 1988–89 4,911 423 1989–90 5,947 369 1990–91 3,233 367 1991–92 1,513 182 1992–93 5,029 541 1993–94 3,301 377 1994–95 2,970 405 1995–96 2,481 317 Providing the number of instances in each year that questions have been given a reply of disproportionate cost or that the information was not held centrally would themselves involve disproportionate cost.