§ Mr. YeoTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what percentage of written parliamentary questions tabled by hon. Members to his Department for answer on a named day in this Session have received a holding answer. [132442]
§ Mr. Nick Brown[holding answer 25 July 2000]: To date 90 per cent. of Named Day questions have received holding replies this Session. This Department regularly receives large numbers of Named Day questions, many for answer on the earliest permitted date; the latest example being the 52 questions which were tabled on Wednesday 1 November for answer the following Monday. Forty of these were tabled by one Member, the hon. Gentleman, on a wide range of topics, including three on an addendum slip to a report. In view of these numbers, and mindful of the need to use resources in the most effective way, I am content, when answering such questions, to apply the criterion set out on page 295 of "Erskine May"' s Parliamentary Practice which states that
the priority markings for written questions should be used sparingly and, in particular, the earliest permitted date should be reserved for those questions to which an urgent answer is genuinely required.