HC Deb 15 November 2001 vol 374 cc871-2W
Miss McIntosh

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will issue guidance to Departments to require that answers to written questions which are replied to by letter during a parliamentary recess are sent for publication in the Official Report for the following sitting day. [12073]

Mr. Robin Cook

I have been asked to reply.

I welcome the hon. Lady's suggestion. My office has today issued guidance to all Whitehall parliamentary clerks setting out new standing instructions.

This guidance states that when a written question is replied to by letter during a recess a copy of the parliamentary question and the reply must be sent to Hansard, in order for it to appear in the Official Report the next sitting day.

Forward to