HC Deb 24 July 2000 vol 354 c489W
Mr. Stunell

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many of the written parliamentary questions tabled to his Department between 19 October 1999 and 20 April have not received substantive answers, excluding those not answered(a) citing disproportionate costs, (b) stating that the information is not available, not held centrally, or not held in the form requested or (c) citing commercial or other confidentiality. [132129]

Mr. Timms

Very few Parliamentary questions will not have been answered substantively, either in their entirety or in part, for reasons other than those specified in the hon. Member's question. But determining exactly how many would entail scrutinising individually the answers to the 1,676 questions tabled in the period concerned. This is an undertaking which could be completed only at disproportionate cost.

Mr. Maclennan

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many written parliamentary questions tabled to his Department between 19 October 1999 and 20 April have not received substantive answers, citing as the reason(a) commercial and (b) other confidentiality. [128015]

Mr. Timms

[pursuant to his replies, 26 June 2000, c. 428, and 29 June 2000, c. 591]The number of questions tabled between 19 October and 20 April 2000 was 1,676 and not 1,479, a figure which relates to the 1999–2000 session up to 20 April.