HL Deb 11 April 2002 vol 633 c117WA
Baroness Gale

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they intend to raise the advisory cost limit of £550 for answering Parliamentary Questions for Written Answer. [HL3691]

Lord McIntosh of Haringey

The advisory cost limit was last increased on 20 May 2000 and is to be further increased to £600 from today.

The purpose and application of the advisory cost limit remains unchanged. It is intended to act as a threshold for disproportionate cost Parliamentary Questions (PQs). Any written PQ where the marginal cost of preparing the Answer is considered likely to exceed the threshold may be refused in whole or in part on the grounds of disproportionate cost. Alternatively, the Minister may decide that the PQ is to be answered irrespective of cost. There is no advisory limit for oral PQs.

The advisory limit continues to be based on eight times the average marginal cost for written PQs, which is now £75, rounded down to the nearest £50 for convenience of application.

Baroness Billingham

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What is their current estimate of the average cost of answering (a) a Parliamentary Question for Written Answer; and (b) an oral Parliamentary Question. [HL3692]

Lord McIntosh of Haringey

As at April 2001, the average cost of answering a written Parliamentary Question and an oral Parliamentary Question was £129 and £299 respectively.