HC Deb 10 March 1997 vol 292 c77W
Mr. Flynn

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment 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. [19345]

Sir Paul Beresford

Where the cost of answering a particular parliamentary question is estimated to exceed £450, it is my Department's general practice to make clear in replying that an answer could be given only by incurring disproportionate cost. Given the large number of questions tabled, it would be unreasonable for my Department to calculate systematically the exact cost of answering every single parliamentary question.