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576333

	registered interest
	date	05/09/2016
	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	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: 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 Statement on 21 July (HLWS128), what discussion she has had with the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills in the light of that Department's position as the Department having the worst record in answering Questions for Written Answer within 10 working days, and whether the Secretary of State intends to make a Written Statement to explain what steps have been taken within that Department to match the overall record of government departments in answering 93 per cent of Written Question within 10 working days.
	tabling member printed	Lord Jopling
	uin	HL1573
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/09/2016 answer text <p>I take very seriously my responsibility as Leader of the House to encourage Ministers to be punctual in answering written questions. I recently published data on departmental performance in answering Questions for Written Answer for the 2015/16 session, where I was pleased to see that 93% of questions were answered within 10 working days. Nevertheless, we must always strive to do better. I have written to the three departments with the greatest proportion of late responses in the last session to make clear the House’s expectations and to stress the importance of timely responses.</p><p> </p><p>Though the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (formerly the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills) received 475 Questions for Written Answer in 2015/16 - more than double the number received in the previous session - Ministers were nevertheless disappointed by the department’s performance. In response the department has put in place a range of actions to improve performance, including strengthening internal deadlines and procedures. Baroness Neville-Rolfe, as the Lords Minister, has stressed to me how seriously the department takes its responsibilities to Parliament and is confident that performance will improve in this session.</p><p><br>My office continues to work with all departments to ensure prompt and comprehensive responses to all Questions for Written Answer. I will continue to publish data on an annual basis to allow analysis of performance over time. This practice is important in highlighting where improvements in timeliness could and should be made.</p> answering member printed Baroness Evans of Bowes Park question first answered 19/09/2016 09:08:00 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

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

581661

	registered interest
	date	12/09/2016
	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	House of Lords: Recess
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask the Leader of the House why there are half-term recesses for the House of Lords.
	tabling member printed	Lord Stoddart of Swindon
	uin	HL1797
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/09/2016 answer text <p>The business of the House is scheduled in a way which allows for periodic adjournments, including at half-term. This is the case because many of its members have family or other outside commitments away from the House, in many cases away from London. The House of Commons has a similar pattern of adjournments.</p> answering member printed Baroness Evans of Bowes Park question first answered 20/09/2016 12:36:28 answering member 4329 label Biography information for Baroness Evans of Bowes Park
	tabling member	950 label Biography information for Lord Stoddart of Swindon

1036932

	registered interest
	date	07/01/2019
	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	Trade Bill
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask the Leader of the House why dates for the committee stage of the Trade Bill in the House of Lords were not scheduled more quickly after the bill's second reading.
	tabling member printed	Baroness McDonagh
	uin	HL12574
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/01/2019 answer text <p>The committee stage of the Trade bill has been arranged in the usual way, having been subject to ongoing discussions in the Usual Channels. So far the three of an anticipated four dates for Committee stage are 21, 23 and 30 January and they have been advertised in Forthcoming Business. The remaining day will be rescheduled as a day had to be set aside for for the House to have a further debate under section 13 of the EU (Withdrawal) Act, which is now scheduled for 28 January. The recommended intervals between Bill stages are minimums, and it is not unusual for there to be a longer pause between stages than the recommended minimum interval.</p> answering member printed Baroness Evans of Bowes Park question first answered 21/01/2019 15:48:32 answering member 4329 label Biography information for Baroness Evans of Bowes Park
	tabling member	3701 label Biography information for Baroness McDonagh

1014643

	registered interest
	date	26/11/2018
	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	Ministers: Correspondence
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask the Leader of the House whether there is a protocol relating to whether letters to ministers from members of the House of Lords should receive replies; and if so, how quickly replies should be sent.
	tabling member printed	Lord Greaves
	uin	HL11781
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/12/2018 answer text <p>The Government recognises the importance of effective and timely handling of correspondence with members of the House of Lords. Government departments should aim to provide a substantive response to routine correspondence within a maximum of 20 working days. However, sometimes circumstances dictate that it will not be possible to provide a response within this timeframe. In such instances, departments are advised to issue a ‘holding’ response until a more substantive response can be provided.</p><p>The Cabinet Office publishes an annual report detailing departmental performance in the handling of correspondence from members of both Houses. Lord Young of Cookham set out the 2017 performance figures in a Written Statement on 26 June 2018 (HLWS771). The 2018 performance figures will be published in summer 2019.</p> answering member printed Baroness Evans of Bowes Park question first answered 10/12/2018 16:30:31 answering member 4329 label Biography information for Baroness Evans of Bowes Park
	tabling member	2569 label Biography information for Lord Greaves

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

870274

	registered interest
	date	23/03/2018
	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	Statutory Instruments: Parliamentary Scrutiny
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask the Leader of the House whether statutory instruments before the House for approval following consideration in Grand Committee are debatable; whether there is any time limit on such debates; and what steps she intends to take to inform Ministers of the position.
	tabling member printed	Lord Forsyth of Drumlean
	uin	HL6608
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/03/2018 answer text <p>Approval motions for affirmative instruments - whether they have previously been considered in a Grand Committee or not - are debatable and not normally time-limited.</p><p><br>Standing Order 28 sets out that debate on such motions, as with all other motions, must be relevant to the question before the House.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Evans of Bowes Park question first answered 28/03/2018 11:17:06 answering member 4329 label Biography information for Baroness Evans of Bowes Park
	tabling member	1141 label Biography information for Lord Forsyth of Drumlean

906451

	registered interest
	date	17/05/2018
	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	Select Committees: Membership
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask the Leader of the House whether she will present proposals to the Procedure Committee to amend the rules on rotation and membership of select committees to allow for the election by the House of members of committees for the lifetime of a Parliament.
	tabling member printed	Lord Balfe
	uin	HL7964
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/05/2018 answer text <p>The rotation rule was last considered by the Procedure Committee in March 2014 (5th Report, Session 2013-14, HL Paper 167). Its proposal to reduce the length of membership from four successive sessions to three, in order to secure a regular turnover of membership and therefore broaden participation in the work of the House’s committees by members, was agreed to by the House (HL Deb 13 May 2014, cols 1771-1775).</p><p> </p><p>I have no plans to present further proposals to change the rotation rule to the Procedure Committee. However, other members are welcome to submit their own proposals to the Procedure Committee for its consideration.</p> answering member printed Baroness Evans of Bowes Park question first answered 21/05/2018 10:47:00 answering member 4329 label Biography information for Baroness Evans of Bowes Park
	tabling member	4302 label Biography information for Lord Balfe

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