HC Deb 26 July 2000 vol 354 cc648-9W
Mr. Stunell

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on how many occasions he deposited papers in the Library in response to parliamentary questions tabled to his Department between 19 October 1999 and 20 April. [131230]

Mr. Chris Smith

[holding answer 20 July 2000]: Papers were deposited in the Library on 40 occasions in response to parliamentary questions tabled to my Department between 19 October 1999 and 20 April 2000.

This figure excludes instances where either my ministerial colleagues or I promised to write to right hon. and hon. Members in response to a parliamentary question.

Mr. Stunell

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 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 commercial or other confidentiality. [132464]

Mr. Chris Smith

Twenty questions tabled to my Department between 19 October and 20 April 2000 have not received substantive answers citing as the reason commercial or other confidentiality.

My Department always aims to provide a substantive reply to hon. Members' questions. Where this is not possible due to commercial or other confidentiality, we endeavour to provide as helpful and as detailed a reply as possible based on the information that is available. In these cases a partial rather than a substantive answer is given.

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