HL Deb 15 April 1999 vol 599 cc135-6WA
Lord Harris of Greenwich

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many questions for Written Answer have been tabled by Lord Lamont of Lerwick concerning the Pinochet case; and what was the estimated cost to the public funds of answering them. [HL1881]

Lord Williams of Mostyn

Our records show that Lord Lamont has tabled 70 questions for Written Answer concerning the Pinochet case since 17 December 1998. He has asked 26 questions of the Home Office, 16 questions of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, 21 of the Attorney General/Lord Chancellor's Department, six of the Ministry of Defence and one of the Prime Minister. The most recent Treasury estimate of the average cost of answering a written parliamentary Question is £115, which would amount to a total cost to public funds of £8,050. Some of the questions required more than an average use of resources to answer them.