To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have been involved in the telephone tapping of any member of the House of Lords since 1997. [HL839]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord West of Spithead): I refer the noble Lord to the Answer given by the Prime Minister on 21 July 2009 (Official Report, House of Commons, col. 1166W).
Questions for Written Answer
Questions
Asked by Lord Jopling
To ask the Leader of the House what changes have taken place in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to enable it to answer Questions for Written Answer within 14 days, in view of the department's performance in the 2008-09 Session to 30 April, when it was the second worst department with 32 per cent of questions answered within 14 days. [HL767]
The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (Baroness Royall of Blaisdon): The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has introduced a range of new management and procedures to ensure it answers questions on time. For example, procedures now ensure that Questions, once ready for reply, are sent to Hansard immediately.
From Questions due for reply in June 2009 to December 2009, the proportion of Questions, cleared for response within 14 days, has been consecutively 83 per cent, 94 per cent, 58 per cent, 75 per cent, 88 per cent, 98 per cent, and 87 per cent.
11 Jan 2010 : Column WA135
Foreign and Commonwealth Office Ministers and officials take very seriously their responsibility to reply to Parliamentary Questions on time.
Asked by Lord Jopling
To ask the Leader of the House whether she will publish the analysis of the number of Questions for Written Answer directed to each department between
11 Jan 2010 : Column WA136
30 April and the end of the Session, together with the number and percentage of those Questions which were not answered within 14 days. [HL898]
Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: The table below sets out information on the number of Questions for Written Answer tabled and answered within 14 days by department.
