Written parliamentary questions: Departmental performance in Session 2021–22

This is a House of Commons Committee report, with recommendations to government. The Government has two months to respond.

Second Report of Session 2022–23

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Contents

1 Written parliamentary questions: Departmental performance in Session 2021–22

1. In this report we publish data on departmental answering performance in the 2021–22 Session of Parliament, accompanied by a table showing comparable data since the 2015–16 Session. We have continued our work in evaluating statistics on the timeliness with which written answers to parliamentary questions have been provided. We have also, through the Chair, offered Members of Parliament a means by which unsatisfactory or late answers may be challenged. Following our last report on performance in the 2019–21 Session, we have also turned our attention to the causes of poor performance and the ways in which they can best be tackled.1

2. In our last report, we noted that the number of parliamentary questions for written answer (WPQs) had risen sharply against a benchmark of the previous Session. Over the Session that followed, the number of WPQs tabled by Members of Parliament stabilised at around 330 each sitting day, the level last seen when routine monitoring was started by our predecessor committee.2 We are pleased, therefore, to record a modest increase in the proportion of answers provided by Government departments on time over the 2021–22 Session, up from 79% to 85% of Ordinary questions and 74% to 79% of questions for answer on a Named Day. In the 2017–19 Session, 92% of Ordinary questions and 89% of Named Day questions were answered on time, so there is still some way to go before pre-pandemic levels of performance are reached.

Table 1: Number of questions successfully tabled to all answering bodies per sitting day, Session 2010–12 to 2021–22

Session

Number of sitting days

WPQs tabled per sitting day

Change from previous Session

2010–12

295

333

-

2012–13

145

299

-10%

2013–14

162

150

-16%

2014–15

134

226

-10%

2015–16

158

237

+5%

2016–17

142

249

+5%

2017–19

349

282

+13%

2019

15

231

-18%

2017–19 + 2019

364

279

+12%

2019–21

209

331

+18%

2021–22

149

334

+1%

Source: 2010–12 to 2014–15: memorandum from the Leader of the House of Commons, November 2015; 2015–16 to 2022: Q&A system

Table 2: Overall rates of timeliness in written answers from Government departments, Session 2010–12 to 2019–21

Session

Ordinary written

Named day

2010–12

69%

69%

2012–13

76%

73%

2013–14

85%

78%

2014–15

87%

81%

2015–16

92%

86%

2016–17

92%

87%

2017–19

92%

89%

2019

91%

85%

2019–21

79%

74%

2021–22

85%

79%

Source: 2010–12 to 2014–15: memorandum from the Leader of the House of Commons, November 2015; 2015–16 to 2022: Q&A system

3. We believe that it is reasonable for the House to expect to receive at least the same level of performance from Government more than two years after the start of the pandemic, and well beyond the point at which Government departments could be expected to have adjusted their operations. We are pleased that both the current Leader and his predecessor have accepted that the pandemic is no longer a reason for poor WPQ performance.3 The House should not accept a permanent reduction in ministerial accountability, and it is important that the improvements in performance continue in the 2022–23 Session.

4. In our last report, we identified areas where poor practice by departments had been identified in complaints made by Members in respect of answers they had received.4 We stated our intention to make recommendations for revisions to the Cabinet Office’s Guide to Parliamentary Work,5 and made recommendations to the former Leader in writing on 10 November 2021.6 Our recommendations for areas for improvement were as follows:

5. Our recommendations were accepted by the former Leader at the beginning of December 2021,7 so it is a matter of great disappointment that more than six months revisions to the Guide have not been made and no new Guide has been issued. We challenged the new Leader of the House, Rt Hon Mark Spencer MP, on the matter at his first appearance before us on 25 May 2022. He told us that:

We are working on that. We have your recommendations in hand. We are certainly working our way through that and hopefully we will be in a position to respond to you around the summer recess. We will get there as soon as we can, but certainly we are grateful for your recommendations and my office are munching their way through that.8

6. It is clearly unacceptable that more than half a year should have passed without action since the Government accepted our recommendations for changes to the Guide to Parliamentary Work.

7. The Government should, as part of its response to this report:

a) Publish a revised Guide to Parliamentary Work making the changes we have recommended to the section on parliamentary questions; and

b) Make a written statement with details of the calculation and revalorisation of the disproportionate cost threshold, in line with the recommendations of the Chair’s letter of 10 November 2021.

8. Our last report was published on 18 July 2021, the day before we held a further oral evidence session with the then Minister of State for Health, Edward Argar MP. In correspondence with the Minister, we advised the Department not to predicate its PQ recovery on diminishing levels of parliamentary interest in its work. The experience of the 2021–22 Session has borne that out. In the 2021–22 Session the Department for Health and Social Care received precisely one fewer WPQ each sitting day, 64.6 rather than 65.6, demonstrating that parliamentary interest has been sustained well beyond the acute phase of the pandemic. We have kept a close eye on the Department for Health and Social Care’s performance as part of our regular monitoring of departmental performance throughout the Session.9 We reviewed departmental performance in detail for the period to December 2021 at the end of March 2022. We identified six departments whose performance was either not of an acceptable standard or whose performance had declined in the first half of the Session. The Chair wrote to the relevant Secretary of State to ask for an explanation, and in the case of the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, to give oral evidence.10

Table 3: Departments in which poor performance was identified in the first half of the Session

Department

Reason

Reason given

Action taken

Performance at end of Session

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy11

Reduction in performance

“new and challenging issues that required more time to prepare accurate and substantial responses”

1. New processes for drafting and clearance

2. Support from the Parliamentary Unit to policy teams

3. Greater focus on PQs within the Department

Ordinary

87%

Named Day

85%

Department for Work and Pensions12

Reduction in performance

No explanation offered

1. Discussed with Ministers

2. Streamlined processes

3. Training for civil servants

Ordinary

86%

Named Day

83%

Home Office13

Reduction in performance (Named Day only)

“predominantly as a result of the fast evolving and complex situation in Afghanistan”

“a large number of Ukraine related PQs”

“looking at ways to streamline clearance of Named Day questions, particularly during a crisis situation”

Ordinary

74%

Named Day

72%

Department for Health and Social Care14

Insufficient progress

High volume of WPQs relating to the pandemic

No new measures in addition to existing plan

Ordinary

68%

Named Day

41%

COP2615

Poor performance in the context of low volume of WPQs

Impact of ministerial absence during preparations for COP26

1. COP26 WPQs integrated within Cabinet Office

2. Support provided by Cabinet Office officials

Ordinary

56%

Named Day

71%

Women and Equalities16

Poor performance in the context of low volume of WPQs

Slow transfers of WPQs in from other departments

Work with the Cabinet Office and Table Office on attribution of PQs at the point of tabling and transfer

Ordinary

78%

Named Day

82%

9. The nature of the responses we received to the Chair’s letters varied significantly. Some letters referred to good performance at other times, including early 2022. The strongest theme of the cause of poor performance was new issues, some of which such as the withdrawal from Afghanistan, could be regarded as exceptional. Other reasons given were less persuasive. The President of COP26 attributed poor performance to his absence (on ministerial business) from the Department. Ultimately neither crises nor routine business should lead to reductions in WPQ performance. We note the role played by the Cabinet Office in coordinating training and process issues across Whitehall and welcome the proactive approach that its Ministers have taken to maintaining its own performance.17

10. Written parliamentary questions are a core means by which Ministers demonstrate their accountability to Parliament and should be treated as a core delivery task by Departments. Secretaries of State should anticipate heightened parliamentary interest in high-profile situations and instruct Permanent Secretaries to resource teams accordingly.

11. Unfortunately the response that we received from the former Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on 15 June left much to be desired.18 His letter cited performance in periods other than the one in question, and highlighted May 2022—a month during half of which the House did not sit—as a period of good performance. More than a year after the Department was first warned to not expect levels of parliamentary interest to decrease, it troubled us that the Department appeared to be treating higher levels of PQs as temporary. We were also surprised that the Secretary of State declined our invitation to be accountable for his Department’s performance.

12. While it is normal for Secretaries of State to delegate aspects of departmental management or operations to other members of a Ministerial team, it is the task rather than the responsibility which is delegated. Our invitation to the former Secretary of State for Health and Social Care was also precedented. On 12 December 2012 a junior Minister at the Department for Education gave evidence to our predecessors following prolonged poor answering performance. Our predecessors reported that:

Regrettably, that session raised for us more questions than it provided answers about the reasons for the department’s poor performance. [ … ] We were also unconvinced that the department was on top of the problems or that any improvements could be expected. We therefore invited the Secretary of State and the Permanent Secretary for a follow-up session.

The Secretary of State gave evidence on 23 January 2013, accompanied by his Permanent Secretary and a Senior Policy Adviser.

13. The Chair replied to the former Secretary of State on 29 June, calling for increased resources and political leadership within the Department.19

14. We reiterate our invitation, this time to the newly-appointed Secretary of State for Health and Social Care to give oral evidence on how his Department will reach an acceptable level of WPQ performance.

Conclusions and recommendations

1. It is clearly unacceptable that more than half a year should have passed without action since the Government accepted our recommendations for changes to the Guide to Parliamentary Work. (Paragraph 6)

2. The Government should, as part of its response to this report:

a.Publish a revised Guide to Parliamentary Work making the changes we have recommended to the section on parliamentary questions; and

b.Make a written statement with details of the calculation and revalorisation of the disproportionate cost threshold, in line with the recommendations of the Chair’s letter of 10 November 2021. (Paragraph 7)

3. Written parliamentary questions are a core means by which Ministers demonstrate their accountability to Parliament and should be treated as a core delivery task by Departments. Secretaries of State should anticipate heightened parliamentary interest in high-profile situations and instruct Permanent Secretaries to resource teams accordingly. (Paragraph 10)

4. We reiterate our invitation, this time to the newly-appointed Secretary of State for Health and Social Care to give oral evidence on how his Department will reach an acceptable level of WPQ performance. (Paragraph 14)

Annex: timeliness of answers by Department, Session 2021–22

Table 4: Departments listed alphabetically

Ordinary written

Named day

Questions tabled for answer

Number (%) answered substantively within 5 working days

Questions tabled for answer

Number (%) answered on named day

Attorney General

94

92

98%

63

61

98%

Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

2,326

2,032

87%

1,721

1,462

85%

Cabinet Office

698

592

85%

707

551

78%

COP26

126

70

56%

92

65

71%

Defence

1,317

1,270

96%

1,215

1,156

95%

Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

1,255

1,139

91%

609

546

90%

Education

2,052

1,821

89%

1,240

1,078

87%

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

1,572

1,284

82%

809

693

86%

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

2,550

2,399

94%

2,000

1,777

89%

Government Equalities Office

110

86

78%

74

61

82%

Health and Social Care

5,859

3,981

68%

3,772

1,543

41%

Home Office

2,098

1,562

74%

1,885

1,366

72%

International Trade

716

613

86%

357

273

76%

Justice

1,143

1,054

92%

816

683

84%

Leader of the House of Commons

14

14

100%

6

6

100%

Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

1,629

1,539

94%

1,096

1,016

93%

Northern Ireland Office

116

98

84%

99

74

75%

Prime Minister

56

55

98%

58

54

93%

Scotland Office

76

76

100%

46

46

100%

Transport

2,121

2,116

100%

1,300

1,300

100%

Treasury

1,764

1,756

100%

1,217

1,210

99%

Wales Office

96

95

99%

35

34

97%

Work and Pensions

1,648

1,422

86%

1,136

938

83%

Source: data from the Q&A system provided by the House of Commons Table Office

Table 5: Departments ranked by number of questions for ordinary written answer received


Source: data from the Q&A system provided by the House of Commons Table Office

Ordinary written

Named day

Questions tabled for answer

Number (%) answered substantively within 5 working days

Questions tabled for answer

Number (%) answered on named day

Health and Social Care

5,859

3,981

68%

3,772

1,543

41%

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

2,550

2,399

94%

2,000

1,777

89%

Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

2,326

2,032

87%

1,721

1,462

85%

Transport

2,121

2,116

100%

1,300

1,300

100%

Home Office

2,098

1,562

74%

1,885

1,366

72%

Education

2,052

1,821

89%

1,240

1,078

87%

Treasury

1,764

1,756

100%

1,217

1,210

99%

Work and Pensions

1,648

1,422

86%

1,136

938

83%

Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

1,629

1,539

94%

1,096

1,016

93%

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

1,572

1,284

82%

809

693

86%

Defence

1,317

1,270

96%

1,215

1,156

95%

Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

1,255

1,139

91%

609

546

90%

Justice

1,143

1,054

92%

816

683

84%

International Trade

716

613

86%

357

273

76%

Cabinet Office

698

592

85%

707

551

78%

COP26

126

70

56%

92

65

71%

Northern Ireland Office

116

98

84%

99

74

75%

Government Equalities Office

110

86

78%

74

61

82%

Wales Office

96

95

99%

35

34

97%

Attorney General

94

92

98%

63

61

98%

Scotland Office

76

76

100%

46

46

100%

Prime Minister

56

55

98%

58

54

93%

Leader of the House of Commons

14

14

100%

6

6

100%

Table 6: Departments ranked by proportion of questions for ordinary written answer receiving substantive response within five working days


Source: data from the Q&A system provided by the House of Commons Table Office

Ordinary written

Named day

Questions tabled for answer

Number (%) answered substantively within 5 working days

Questions tabled for answer

Number (%) answered on named day

Transport

2,121

2,116

100%

1,300

1,300

100%

Treasury

1,764

1,756

100%

1,217

1,210

99%

Scotland Office

76

76

100%

46

46

100%

Leader of the House of Commons

14

14

100%

6

6

100%

Wales Office

96

95

99%

35

34

97%

Attorney General

94

92

98%

63

61

98%

Prime Minister

56

55

98%

58

54

93%

Defence

1,317

1,270

96%

1,215

1,156

95%

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

2,550

2,399

94%

2,000

1,777

89%

Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

1,629

1,539

94%

1,096

1,016

93%

Justice

1,143

1,054

92%

816

683

84%

Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

1,255

1,139

91%

609

546

90%

Education

2,052

1,821

89%

1,240

1,078

87%

Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

2,326

2,032

87%

1,721

1,462

85%

Work and Pensions

1,648

1,422

86%

1,136

938

83%

International Trade

716

613

86%

357

273

76%

Cabinet Office

698

592

85%

707

551

78%

Northern Ireland Office

116

98

84%

99

74

75%

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

1,572

1,284

82%

809

693

86%

Government Equalities Office

110

86

78%

74

61

82%

Home Office

2,098

1,562

74%

1,885

1,366

72%

Health and Social Care

5,859

3,981

68%

3,772

1,543

41%

COP26

126

70

56%

92

65

71%

Table 7: Departments ranked by number of questions for written answer on a named day received


Source: data from the Q&A system provided by the House of Commons Table Office

Ordinary written

Named day

Questions tabled for answer

Number (%) answered substantively within 5 working days

Questions tabled for answer

Number (%) answered on named day

Health and Social Care

5,859

3,981

68%

3,772

1,543

41%

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

2,550

2,399

94%

2,000

1,777

89%

Home Office

2,098

1,562

74%

1,885

1,366

72%

Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

2,326

2,032

87%

1,721

1,462

85%

Transport

2,121

2,116

100%

1,300

1,300

100%

Education

2,052

1,821

89%

1,240

1,078

87%

Treasury

1,764

1,756

100%

1,217

1,210

99%

Defence

1,317

1,270

96%

1,215

1,156

95%

Work and Pensions

1,648

1,422

86%

1,136

938

83%

Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

1,629

1,539

94%

1,096

1,016

93%

Justice

1,143

1,054

92%

816

683

84%

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

1,572

1,284

82%

809

693

86%

Cabinet Office

698

592

85%

707

551

78%

Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

1,255

1,139

91%

609

546

90%

International Trade

716

613

86%

357

273

76%

Northern Ireland Office

116

98

84%

99

74

75%

COP26

126

70

56%

92

65

71%

Government Equalities Office

110

86

78%

74

61

82%

Attorney General

94

92

98%

63

61

98%

Prime Minister

56

55

98%

58

54

93%

Scotland Office

76

76

100%

46

46

100%

Wales Office

96

95

99%

35

34

97%

Leader of the House of Commons

14

14

100%

6

6

100%

Table 8: Departments ranked by proportion of questions for written answer on a named day answered on the day named


Source: data from the Q&A system provided by the House of Commons Table Office

Ordinary written

Named day

Questions tabled for answer

Number (%) answered substantively within 5 working days

Questions tabled for answer

Number (%) answered on named day

Transport

2,121

2,116

100%

1,300

1,300

100%

Scotland Office

76

76

100%

46

46

100%

Leader of the House of Commons

14

14

100%

6

6

100%

Treasury

1,764

1,756

100%

1,217

1,210

99%

Attorney General

94

92

98%

63

61

98%

Wales Office

96

95

99%

35

34

97%

Defence

1,317

1,270

96%

1,215

1,156

95%

Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

1,629

1,539

94%

1,096

1,016

93%

Prime Minister

56

55

98%

58

54

93%

Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

1,255

1,139

91%

609

546

90%

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

2,550

2,399

94%

2,000

1,777

89%

Education

2,052

1,821

89%

1,240

1,078

87%

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

1,572

1,284

82%

809

693

86%

Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

2,326

2,032

87%

1,721

1,462

85%

Justice

1,143

1,054

92%

816

683

84%

Work and Pensions

1,648

1,422

86%

1,136

938

83%

Government Equalities Office

110

86

78%

74

61

82%

Cabinet Office

698

592

85%

707

551

78%

International Trade

716

613

86%

357

273

76%

Northern Ireland Office

116

98

84%

99

74

75%

Home Office

2,098

1,562

74%

1,885

1,366

72%

COP26

126

70

56%

92

65

71%

Health and Social Care

5,859

3,981

68%

3,772

1,543

41%

Formal minutes

Wednesday 20 July 2022

Members present

Karen Bradley, in the Chair

Aaron Bell

Jack Brereton

Chris Elmore

Kevan Jones

Owen Thompson

Written parliamentary questions: Departmental performance in Session 2021–22

Draft Report (Written parliamentary questions: Departmental performance in Session 2021–22), proposed by the Chair, brought up and read.

Ordered, That the draft report be read a second time, paragraph by paragraph.

Paragraphs 1 to 14 read and agreed to.

Annex 1 agreed to.

Resolved, That the Report be the Second Report of the Committee to the House.

Ordered, That the Chair make the Report to the House.

Ordered, That embargoed copies of the Report be made available (Standing Order No. 134).


List of Reports from the Committee during the current Parliament

All publications from the Committee are available on the publications page of the Committee’s website.

Session 2022–23

Number

Title

Reference

1st Report

Proxy voting and the presence of babies in the Chamber and Westminster Hall

HC 383

Session 2021–22

Number

Title

Reference

1st Report

Written parliamentary questions: Departmental performance in Session 2019–21

HC 532

Session 2019–21

Number

Title

Reference

1st Report

Procedure under coronavirus restrictions: proposals for remote participation - First Report of Session 2019–21

HC 300

2nd Report

Procedure under coronavirus restrictions: remote voting in divisions

HC 335

3rd Report

Procedure under coronavirus restrictions: the Government’s proposal to discontinue remote participation

HC 392

4th Report

Proxy voting: review of pilot arrangements

HC 10

5th Report

Written Parliamentary questions: Departmental performance in the 2017 Parliament

HC 790

6th Report

Procedure under coronavirus restrictions: virtual participation in debate

HC 905

7th Report

Procedure under coronavirus restrictions: call lists and time limits on speeches in debates

HC 1031

8th Report

Back to the future? Procedure after coronavirus restrictions

HC 1282

1st Special Report

Procedure under coronavirus restrictions: the Government’s proposal for proxy voting for shielding Members

HC 429

2nd Special Report

Procedure under coronavirus restrictions: Government Responses to the Committee’s First, Second and Third Reports

HC 565

3rd Special Report

Proxy voting: review of pilot arrangements: Government Response to the Committee’s Fourth Report of Session 2019–21

HC 836

4th Special Report

Procedure under coronavirus restrictions: Government Responses to the Committee’s Sixth and Seventh Reports

HC 1165

5th Special Report

Back to the future? Procedure after coronavirus restrictions: Government Response to the Committee’s Eighth Report

HC 1389


Footnotes

1 Procedure Committee, Written parliamentary questions: Departmental performance in Session 2019–21, First Report of Session 2021–22

2 Table 1

3 Written parliamentary questions: Departmental performance in Session 2019–21, Appendix 1; Oral evidence, 25 May 2022, Q37 [Rt Hon Mark Spencer MP]

4 Written parliamentary questions: Departmental performance in Session 2019–21, para 7

5 Written parliamentary questions: Departmental performance in Session 2019–21, para 12

6 Chair of the Committee to the Leader of the House, 10 November 2021

7 Leader of the House to the Chair of the Committee, 1 December 2021

8 Oral evidence, 25 May 2022, Q36

9 Minister of State for Health to Chair of the Committee, 6 August 2021

10 All correspondence is published on the Committee’s website.

11 Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy to the Chair of the Committee, 6 June 2022

12 Secretary of State for Work and Pensions to the Chair of the Committee, 22 June 2022

13 Secretary of State for the Home Department, 21 June 2022

14 Secretary of State for Health and Social Care to the Chair of the Committee, 15 June 2022

15 COP26 President to the Chair of the Committee, 6 June 2022

16 Minister for Equalities, Local Government, Faith and Communities to the Chair of the Committee, 31 May 2022

17 Parliamentary Secretary to the Cabinet Office to the Chair of the Committee, 22 July 2021; Paymaster General to the Chair of the Committee, 16 December 2021

18 Secretary of State for Health and Social Care to the Chair of the Committee, 15 June 2022

19 Chair of the Committee to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, 29 June 2022

Recommendations for changes to the Guide to Parliamentary Work

1. Clearer statement of the principle of ministerial accountability to Parliament

2. Improved explanation of the interaction between the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and parliamentary accountability

3. Improved guidance to officials on when reference to published material is appropriate

4. Recalculation of the disproportionate cost threshold

5. Clarification of the extent of ministerial responsibility for the work of arm’s-length bodies

6. Greater detail on the procedural rules relating to written questions