§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many answers to parliamentary questions by Ministers in his Department in the last 12 months have exceeded the advisory cost limit; and if he will make a statement. [19340]
§ Sir John WheelerWhere the cost of answering a particular parliamentary question is estimated to exceed £450, it is the general practice for Departments to make it clear that the question could be answered only by incurring disproportionate cost. Given the large number of questions tabled, it would be unreasonable for my Department systematically to calculate the exact cost of answering every single parliamentary question.