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788925

registered interest
date	14/11/2017
answering body	Leader of the House of Lords
answering dept id	92
answering dept short name
answering dept sort name	Leader of the House of Lords
hansard heading	House of Lords: Select Committee Reports
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask the Leader of the House, further to her Written Answer on 7 November (HL2539), what consideration has been given to listing in House of Lords Business the names of Government departments that have failed to respond within two months to reports from Lords select committees and joint select committees of both houses.
tabling member printed	Lord Norton of Louth
uin	HL3234
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/11/2017 answer text <p>The question includes a proposal which in my view is worth consideration; I am not aware of the proposal having been made previously. Accordingly, as any change to <em>House of Lords Business</em> would be a matter for the Procedure Committee, I intend to submit such a proposal for consideration at its next meeting.</p> answering member printed Baroness Evans of Bowes Park question first answered 27/11/2017 14:21:58 answering member 4329 label Biography information for Baroness Evans of Bowes Park
tabling member	3187 label Biography information for Lord Norton of Louth

788328

registered interest
date	13/11/2017
answering body	Leader of the House of Lords
answering dept id	92
answering dept short name
answering dept sort name	Leader of the House of Lords
hansard heading	House of Lords: Select Committee Reports
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask the Leader of the House whether she has plans to ensure that Government departments (1) abide by their undertaking to provide responses to the reports of select committees within two months of publication, and (2) reply fully to the recommendations set out in those reports.
tabling member printed	Lord Lexden
uin	HL3120
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/11/2017 answer text <p>I have recently written to Lords ministers to reiterate the importance of providing timely responses to select committee reports and I am assured that ministers are working hard to ensure the Government respond to reports within two months of their publication. However, sometimes circumstances dictate that it will not be possible to provide a response within this timeframe. Sometimes a later timeframe is agreed with the committee in question when it may be possible to give a fuller response at a later point. In such instances the relevant government department will maintain contact with the relevant select committee chairman and secretariat.</p><p>The Government values the work of the select committees of this House, and understands the importance of proper engagement with them. The House has the opportunity to consider Government responses alongside the report at the point at which it is debated and I recognise the importance of having sufficient time to consider it beforehand. This is an important way that the House holds Government to account for the quality and timeliness of the response.</p> answering member printed Baroness Evans of Bowes Park question first answered 22/11/2017 12:13:59 answering member 4329 label Biography information for Baroness Evans of Bowes Park
tabling member	4202 label Biography information for Lord Lexden

782441

registered interest
date	02/11/2017
answering body	Leader of the House of Lords
answering dept id	92
answering dept short name
answering dept sort name	Leader of the House of Lords
hansard heading	Questions for Short Debate
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask the Leader of the House whether she intends to review the rule under which Members who ask a question for short debate have no right of reply at the end.
tabling member printed	Lord Pearson of Rannoch
uin	HL2864
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/11/2017 answer text <p>Questions for short debate, which remain the principal means by which backbenchers are able to secure 1-1½ hour debates in the Chamber or Grand Committee, are, by design, treated as questions rather than motions. As such there is no right of reply.* Standing Order 32(2) is also clear in that members may only speak once to questions for short debate, save, with the leave of the House, to clarify a point they have made in their speech.</p><p>The speaking time limits for additional backbench contributors in the twenty-five questions for short debate we have had so far in this session have ranged from two to ten minutes. Any change to the present arrangements would of course be a matter for the Procedure Committee. I can only note that revising the procedure so that the member asking the question had a right of reply within the 1 or 1½ hour time limit would reduce the time available to other members when debates are well-subscribed.</p><p><br>*Paragraph 6.32 of The Companion to the Standing Orders and Guide to the Proceedings of the House of Lords.</p> answering member printed Baroness Evans of Bowes Park question first answered 07/11/2017 12:00:57 answering member 4329 label Biography information for Baroness Evans of Bowes Park
tabling member	3153 label Biography information for Lord Pearson of Rannoch

777534

registered interest
date	25/10/2017
answering body	Leader of the House of Lords
answering dept id	92
answering dept short name
answering dept sort name	Leader of the House of Lords
hansard heading	House of Lords: Select Committee Reports
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask the Leader of the House what plans she has to improve the timeliness and quality of Government responses to reports from House of Lords Select Committees and Joint Select Committees of both Houses.
tabling member printed	Lord Norton of Louth
uin	HL2538
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/11/2017 answer text <p>The Government values the work of the select committees of this House, and understands the importance of proper engagement with that work. Therefore the Government aims to respond to reports within two months of their publication. However, sometimes circumstances dictate that it will not be possible to provide a response within this timeframe. In such instances the relevant government department will maintain contact with the relevant select committee chairman and secretariat.</p><p>I have written to Lords ministers to reiterate the importance of providing timely responses to select committee reports. There are currently 15 government responses that have not been received by the relevant select committees within the two-month period. I am assured that ministers are working hard to ensure outstanding responses are issued as soon as possible.</p><p>Data on response times is made available by the Committee Office but has not been routinely collected for the years requested. However, as a member of the Liaison Committee, I welcome the fact that, since the 2014-15 session, government response dates have been published in the Liaison Committee’s annual reports. Links to the reports containing the information for the most recent three sessions are set out below.</p><p><strong>Session 2016-17: <a href="https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld201719/ldselect/ldliaison/13/13.pdf" target="_blank">https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld201719/ldselect/ldliaison/13/13.pdf<br></a></strong><strong>Session 2015-16: <a href="http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld201617/ldselect/ldliaisn/26/26.pdf" target="_blank">http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld201617/ldselect/ldliaisn/26/26.pdf<br></a></strong><strong>Session 2014-15: <a href="http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld201516/ldselect/ldliaison/5/5.pdf" target="_blank">http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld201516/ldselect/ldliaison/5/5.pdf</a></strong></p> answering member printed Baroness Evans of Bowes Park attachment 1 file name 2014-15 Liaison Committee.pdf title Session 2014-15 2 file name 2015-16 Liaison Committee.pdf title Session 2015-16 3 file name 2016-17 Liaison Committee.pdf title Session 2016-17 grouped question UIN HL2539 question first answered 07/11/2017 16:15:43 answering member 4329 label Biography information for Baroness Evans of Bowes Park
tabling member	3187 label Biography information for Lord Norton of Louth

777535

registered interest
date	25/10/2017
answering body	Leader of the House of Lords
answering dept id	92
answering dept short name
answering dept sort name	Leader of the House of Lords
hansard heading	House of Lords: Select Committee Reports
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask the Leader of the House how many reports from House of Lords Select Committees and Joint Select Committees of both Houses published between August 2010 and August 2017 did not receive Government responses within a period of two months; and how many of those reports have yet to receive a Government response.
tabling member printed	Lord Norton of Louth
uin	HL2539
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/11/2017 answer text <p>The Government values the work of the select committees of this House, and understands the importance of proper engagement with that work. Therefore the Government aims to respond to reports within two months of their publication. However, sometimes circumstances dictate that it will not be possible to provide a response within this timeframe. In such instances the relevant government department will maintain contact with the relevant select committee chairman and secretariat.</p><p>I have written to Lords ministers to reiterate the importance of providing timely responses to select committee reports. There are currently 15 government responses that have not been received by the relevant select committees within the two-month period. I am assured that ministers are working hard to ensure outstanding responses are issued as soon as possible.</p><p>Data on response times is made available by the Committee Office but has not been routinely collected for the years requested. However, as a member of the Liaison Committee, I welcome the fact that, since the 2014-15 session, government response dates have been published in the Liaison Committee’s annual reports. Links to the reports containing the information for the most recent three sessions are set out below.</p><p><strong>Session 2016-17: <a href="https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld201719/ldselect/ldliaison/13/13.pdf" target="_blank">https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld201719/ldselect/ldliaison/13/13.pdf<br></a></strong><strong>Session 2015-16: <a href="http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld201617/ldselect/ldliaisn/26/26.pdf" target="_blank">http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld201617/ldselect/ldliaisn/26/26.pdf<br></a></strong><strong>Session 2014-15: <a href="http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld201516/ldselect/ldliaison/5/5.pdf" target="_blank">http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld201516/ldselect/ldliaison/5/5.pdf</a></strong></p> answering member printed Baroness Evans of Bowes Park attachment 1 file name 2014-15 Liaison Committee.pdf title Session 2014-15 2 file name 2015-16 Liaison Committee.pdf title Session 2015-16 3 file name 2016-17 Liaison Committee.pdf title Session 2016-17 grouped question UIN HL2538 question first answered 07/11/2017 16:15:43 answering member 4329 label Biography information for Baroness Evans of Bowes Park
tabling member	3187 label Biography information for Lord Norton of Louth

773564

registered interest
date	19/10/2017
answering body	Leader of the House of Lords
answering dept id	92
answering dept short name
answering dept sort name	Leader of the House of Lords
hansard heading	Human Rights Joint Select Committee
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask the Leader of the House what are the reasons for the delay in establishing the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights.
tabling member printed	Lord Lester of Herne Hill
uin	HL2279
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 31/10/2017 answer text <p>The Joint Committee on Human Rights has now been appointed. The Lords membership was agreed by the House on Wednesday 19 July. The House of Commons agreed its members of the Joint Committee on Monday 30 October. The appointment of Commons Members is a matter for the House of Commons.</p> answering member printed Baroness Evans of Bowes Park question first answered 31/10/2017 17:55:28 answering member 4329 label Biography information for Baroness Evans of Bowes Park
tabling member	2037 label Biography information for Lord Lester of Herne Hill

758575

registered interest
date	07/09/2017
answering body	Leader of the House of Lords
answering dept id	92
answering dept short name
answering dept sort name	Leader of the House of Lords
hansard heading	Department for Communities and Local Government: Written Questions
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask the Leader of the House what explanation, if any, she has received from the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government as to why six questions for written answer tabled on or before 19 July had not been answered by 6 September; and when she expects those questions to be answered.
tabling member printed	Lord Jopling
uin	HL1446
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/09/2017 answer text <p>As Leader of the House I take very seriously the responsibility incumbent on all Ministers to provide full, timely and comprehensible answers to Questions for Written Answer (QWAs).</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>In this instance I am informed by the Department that delays to five of these late responses were as a result of administrative errors. I have been advised that these issues have now been identified and resolved. I have been reassured that the Secretary of State takes this seriously and that he has made clear to officials that it is essential it does not happen again. The members concerned were contacted by the Department to apologise for the delay and these questions have now been answered.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>With regard to question number HL1066 from Lord Pearson of Rannoch, this remained unanswered by 6 September due to an error with IT systems maintained by the House which meant that it was not allocated to the correct department. The technical issue which was causing problems with transfers and amendments has now been resolved and the question has now been answered.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>My office will continue to work with all departments to ensure prompt and satisfactory answers to QWAs.</p> answering member printed Baroness Evans of Bowes Park question first answered 14/09/2017 11:14:28 answering member 4329 label Biography information for Baroness Evans of Bowes Park
tabling member	883 label Biography information for Lord Jopling

679316

registered interest
date	26/01/2017
answering body	Leader of the House of Lords
answering dept id	92
answering dept short name
answering dept sort name	Leader of the House of Lords
hansard heading	Ministry of Justice: Written Questions
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask the Leader of the House, further to her Written Answer on 23 January (HL4521), whether the shortage of resources within the Ministry of Justice will be resolved in time for the outstanding Question for Written Answer tabled on 16 November (HL3278) to be answered before the end of February.
tabling member printed	Lord Jopling
uin	HL5030
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/02/2017 answer text <p>As detailed in my previous answer (HL4521), I have recently written to Lord Keen of Elie QC and the Secretary of State for Justice to make clear the House’s expectations with regards to Questions for Written Answer. I am informed that the Ministry of Justice has taken steps to rectify the issue, including making further process improvements, for example reducing the internal deadlines to allow more time for clearance. Lord Keen of Elie QC has also had discussions with senior officials within the Department about its recent performance. The Ministry of Justice has now cleared all overdue Questions for Written Answer, including HL3278, which was answered on 30 January 2017.</p><p>My office will continue to work with all departments to ensure prompt and satisfactory answers to Questions for Written Answer.</p> answering member printed Baroness Evans of Bowes Park question first answered 08/02/2017 17:44:21 answering member 4329 label Biography information for Baroness Evans of Bowes Park
tabling member	883 label Biography information for Lord Jopling

671118

registered interest
date	10/01/2017
answering body	Leader of the House of Lords
answering dept id	92
answering dept short name
answering dept sort name	Leader of the House of Lords
hansard heading	Written Questions
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask the Leader of the House whether the failure on 10 January of the Home Office and the Ministry of Justice to answer Questions for Written Answer which had been tabled in November 2016 was in part due to those departments not being fully staffed to normal levels in the days following the bank holiday on 2 January.
tabling member printed	Lord Jopling
uin	HL4521
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/01/2017 answer text <p>As Leader of the House I take very seriously the responsibility incumbent on all Ministers to provide full, timely and comprehensible answers to Questions for Written Answer (QWAs). My office immediately approaches departments who have not responded to questions after 10 working days, and remains in contact with them until the questions are answered.</p><p>I am informed that due to ongoing technical problems with software used by the Home Office for processing answers to QWAs, the usual clearance process has experienced delays since October which have caused a backlog. I have been assured that steps have now been taken to safeguard against the problem reoccurring.</p><p>The Ministry of Justice recognise recent reductions in performance with regard to QWA responses, which I am informed is due to a reduction in resources​ ​as ​a result of process and system changes. The Department has assured me that they have taken steps to rectify this, including making further process improvements.</p><p>I have written to the Secretaries of State for both Departments to stress the importance of providing full and timely responses to QWAs and have written to my front bench team to reiterate the House’s expectations in the light of recent performance.</p> answering member printed Baroness Evans of Bowes Park question first answered 23/01/2017 15:09:22 answering member 4329 label Biography information for Baroness Evans of Bowes Park
tabling member	883 label Biography information for Lord Jopling

657749

registered interest
date	13/12/2016
answering body	Leader of the House of Lords
answering dept id	92
answering dept short name
answering dept sort name	Leader of the House of Lords
hansard heading	Written Questions
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask the Leader of the House what arrangements are in place to ensure that, in answering Questions for Written Answer, government departments are, as required by the Ministerial Code, "accurate and truthful" and as "open as possible" in the answers they provide to members of the House of Lords; whether she has put in place a system to provide quality assurance of the answers provided by government departments to members of the House of Lords; and if so, what..
tabling member printed	Lord Harris of Haringey
uin	HL4068
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/12/2016 answer text <p>As Leader of the House I take very seriously the responsibility incumbent on all Ministers to provide full, timely and comprehensible answers to Questions for Written Answer. This is something I stress regularly to frontbench colleagues and which I will certainly reiterate in the light of the Noble Lord’s question. My office also engage regularly with private offices and Parliamentary teams when issues arise, both proactively and in response to concerns raised by individual members. It is for Ministers, though, to be directly accountable for the content of their answers, which is why I fully support the rule that Ministers must personally sign all answers to members of the House of Lords.</p> answering member printed Baroness Evans of Bowes Park question first answered 20/12/2016 17:18:58 answering member 4329 label Biography information for Baroness Evans of Bowes Park
tabling member	2671 label Biography information for Lord Harris of Haringey