§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Solicitor-General how many staff were involved in each of the last three years in preparing draft answers to written parliamentary questions. [49156]
§ The Solicitor-General[holding answer 17 April 2002]: The Attorney-General and I answer parliamentary questions on behalf of all Departments for which the Attorney-General is responsible. Large numbers of staff from each of those Departments may, over any period of time, be involved in providing the information on which an answer is based. The information requested would require an examination of all questions answered in the last three years and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
320W
§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Solicitor-General if she will take steps to improve the response time to parliamentary questions. [47720]
§ The Solicitor-General[holding answer 10 April 2002]: In its response to the Public Administration Select Committee's Second Report of Session 2000–01 on Ministerial Accountability and Parliamentary Questions, the Government made clear their commitment to providing prompt and accurate answers to parliamentary questions.
§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Solicitor-General what the cost was to her Department of answering written parliamentary questions in 2001; and how that cost was calculated. [49114]
§ The Solicitor-General[holding answer 17 April 2002]: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons, on 17 April 2002, Official Report, column 929W.