§ Mr. BakerTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many parliamentary questions asked in respect of the millennium dome since 1 January 1999 have received holding answers; what percentage of such questions this represents; and what has been the average time taken to answer written questions on the millennium dome during this period. [109913]
§ Janet Anderson[holding answer 11 February 2000]: Since 1 January 1999, 102 written parliamentary questions on the millennium dome have received holding answers. This represents 96 per cent. of the total number of Named Day questions tabled on this subject, 39 of which have been from the hon. Member. The average time taken to answer written questions on the millennium dome during this period is 20 days.
My Department makes every effort to answer questions on time, but the need to ensure that responses are completely accurate can make the issuing of a holding answer unavoidable. Holding answers are usually issued while relevant information is being obtained from the New Millennium Experience Company.