§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Prime Minister what were the reasons for the time taken in providing a full answer to the question of the hon. Member for South Holland and The Deepings (Mr. Hayes) of 20 May 1999,Official Report, column 403. [86716]
§ The Prime MinisterThe hon. Member' s question–which asked for the figures showing that the Labour Party represents more rural constituencies than any other party–was due for answer on Tuesday 18 May and I gave a full reply two days later. The delay was due to the fact that on Monday 17 and Tuesday 18 May, I was in Bulgaria and Albania visiting British troops and meeting Kosovar refugees and the leaders of these frontline states.