@prefix rdf: . @prefix xsd: . @prefix dcterms: . @prefix skos: . @prefix rdfs: . @prefix api: . @prefix parl: . parl:answerText "

This information is not held centrally and would be a matter for the individual departments concerned.

My office collates wider departmental performance information for Ordinary and Named Day Parliamentary Questions, which I submit in relation to each session to the Procedure Committee. Each department is required to set out in its evidence to the Procedure Committee, any factors which have caused delays in answering written questions.

Statistics relating to departmental performance for the 2012/13, 2010/12 and 2009/10 Parliamentary sessions were previously provided to the Committee and are available on the Parliament website. I expect to provide data for the last Parliamentary session shortly.

" ; parl:answeringMember ; parl:answeringMemberConstituency "South Cambridgeshire" ; parl:answeringMemberPrinted "Mr Andrew Lansley" ; parl:dateOfAnswer "2014-06-10"^^xsd:dateTime ; parl:isMinisterialCorrection false ; parl:questionFirstAnswered "2014-06-10T12:44:22.5377156Z"^^xsd:dateTime . rdfs:label "Biography information for John Redwood" . rdfs:label "Biography information for Dame Meg Hillier" . rdfs:label "Biography information for Sir Jake Berry" . parl:answer ; parl:answeringDeptId "34" ; parl:answeringDeptPrinted "Leader of the House" ; parl:answeringDeptShortName "Leader of the House" ; parl:answeringDeptSortName "Leader of the House" ; parl:hansardHeading "Official Visits" ; parl:houseId "1" ; parl:legislature ; parl:questionText "To ask the Leader of the House, what visits each of the Ministers in his Office have made since January 2013; and what the purpose of each such visit was." ; parl:registeredInterest false ; parl:tablingMember ; parl:tablingMemberConstituency "Edinburgh East" ; parl:tablingMemberPrinted "Sheila Gilmore" ; parl:uin "200491" ; dcterms:date "2014-06-12"^^xsd:dateTime . parl:answerText "

In February 2013, I visited the Scottish Parliament to examine Parliamentary procedures and practices.

In May 2013, the Deputy Leader of the House and I undertook an overseas visit to the European Institutions in Brussels. This visit provided an opportunity to consider and promote the role of national parliaments, including the House of Commons, in the processes of European legislation.

In December 2013, the Deputy Leader of the House visited Northern Ireland to engage with various Northern Irish charities and campaign groups on the Transparency of Lobbying, Non-Party Campaigning and Trade Union Administration Bill.

In February 2014, I and the Deputy Leader of the House visited the Welsh Assembly in Cardiff to examine Parliamentary procedures and the work of the Petitions Committee.

" ; parl:answeringMember ; parl:answeringMemberConstituency "South Cambridgeshire" ; parl:answeringMemberPrinted "Mr Andrew Lansley" ; parl:dateOfAnswer "2014-06-16"^^xsd:dateTime ; parl:isMinisterialCorrection false ; parl:questionFirstAnswered "2014-06-16T15:24:30.5984225Z"^^xsd:dateTime . rdfs:label "Biography information for Alison Seabeck" . parl:answer ; parl:answeringDeptId "34" ; parl:answeringDeptPrinted "Leader of the House" ; parl:answeringDeptShortName "Leader of the House" ; parl:answeringDeptSortName "Leader of the House" ; parl:houseId "1" ; parl:legislature ; parl:questionText "To ask the Leader of the House, what levels of stock his Office holds of (a) stationery, (b) printer cartridges, (c) treasury tags and other fasteners and (d) other office consumables." ; parl:registeredInterest false ; parl:tablingMember ; parl:tablingMemberConstituency "Wokingham" ; parl:tablingMemberPrinted "Mr John Redwood" ; parl:uin "196213" ; dcterms:date "2014-04-10"^^xsd:dateTime . parl:answer ; parl:answeringDeptId "34" ; parl:answeringDeptPrinted "Leader of the House" ; parl:answeringDeptShortName "Leader of the House" ; parl:answeringDeptSortName "Leader of the House" ; parl:houseId "1" ; parl:legislature ; parl:questionText "To ask the Leader of the House, how many e-Petitions have led to debates being arranged in the House since their introduction." ; parl:registeredInterest false ; parl:tablingMember ; parl:tablingMemberConstituency "Rossendale and Darwen" ; parl:tablingMemberPrinted "Jake Berry" ; parl:uin "193795" ; dcterms:date "2014-03-26"^^xsd:dateTime . rdfs:label "Biography information for Mr David Winnick" . parl:answerText "

The Government's view is that all Members elected to Westminster should take their seats.

However, whether or not elected members choose to participate fully in the business of the House of Commons once elected is a decision for MPs themselves.

While the Government is of the view that their constituents would be more fully represented if Sinn Féin MPs participated in all aspects of business at Westminster, it is a matter for the electorate if they choose to vote for candidates who have expressed an alternative view.

" ; parl:answeringMember ; parl:answeringMemberConstituency "South Cambridgeshire" ; parl:answeringMemberPrinted "Mr Andrew Lansley" ; parl:dateOfAnswer "2014-07-08"^^xsd:dateTime ; parl:isMinisterialCorrection false ; parl:questionFirstAnswered "2014-07-08T13:52:13.1503159Z"^^xsd:dateTime . rdfs:label "Biography information for Sheila Gilmore" . skos:prefLabel "House of Commons" . rdfs:label "Biography information for Ian C. Lucas" . parl:answer ; parl:answeringDeptId "34" ; parl:answeringDeptPrinted "Leader of the House" ; parl:answeringDeptShortName "" ; parl:answeringDeptSortName "" ; parl:houseId "1" ; parl:legislature ; parl:questionText "To ask the Leader of the House, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to restrict hon. Members from having jobs beside that of a Member of Parliament." ; parl:registeredInterest false ; parl:tablingMember ; parl:tablingMemberConstituency "Wrexham" ; parl:tablingMemberPrinted "Ian Lucas" ; parl:uin "902989" ; dcterms:date "2014-03-06"^^xsd:dateTime . parl:answerText "

Since the launch of the Government e-petitions site, 27 petitions have reached the 100 000 signature threshold making them eligible for consideration for debate. The topics of 22 have been the subject of debate in the House of Commons, most as a direct result of the e-petition. Seven of these debates have taken place in Westminster Hall on a Monday afternoon, in the additional time made available specifically for the consideration of e-petitions.

Issues raised in e-petitions which have not reached the 100 000 signature threshold have also been debated regularly in the House.

" ; parl:answeringMember ; parl:answeringMemberConstituency "South Cambridgeshire" ; parl:answeringMemberPrinted "Mr Andrew Lansley" ; parl:dateOfAnswer "2014-03-31"^^xsd:dateTime ; parl:isMinisterialCorrection false ; parl:questionFirstAnswered "2014-03-31T12:00:00.00Z"^^xsd:dateTime . parl:answerText "

I regularly remind ministerial colleagues of their obligations to give accurate and truthful information to Parliament as set out in the Ministerial Code.

The Office of the Leader of the House of Commons provides guidance to all Departments on the practice of answering Parliamentary Questions. The guidance advises that all Parliamentary Questions should be accurate, brief and clear.

The full Guide is available on the Cabinet Office website at:

http://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guide-to-parliamentary-work

" ; parl:answeringMember ; parl:answeringMemberConstituency "South Cambridgeshire" ; parl:answeringMemberPrinted "Mr Andrew Lansley" ; parl:dateOfAnswer "2014-07-08"^^xsd:dateTime ; parl:isMinisterialCorrection false ; parl:questionFirstAnswered "2014-07-08T13:46:47.9954828Z"^^xsd:dateTime . parl:answerText "

The Government have no plans to bring forward such proposals. The independent Committee on Standards in Public Life have previously recommended that MPs should remain free to have paid employment unrelated to their role as MPs, and that this is desirable in performing their role (1st Report Committee on Standards in Public Life).

It is important that there is transparency about what MPs do, who pays them and for what. The House changed its rules before the last election to ensure that this detail is shown in the Register of Members' Financial Interests. MPs are here to work for their constituents and that should remain the principal purpose of all MPs elected to this place.

" ; parl:answeringMember ; parl:answeringMemberConstituency "South Cambridgeshire" ; parl:answeringMemberPrinted "Mr Andrew Lansley" ; parl:dateOfAnswer "2014-03-12"^^xsd:dateTime ; parl:isMinisterialCorrection false ; parl:questionFirstAnswered "2014-03-12T12:00:00.00Z"^^xsd:dateTime . parl:answer ; parl:answeringDeptId "34" ; parl:answeringDeptPrinted "Leader of the House" ; parl:answeringDeptShortName "Leader of the House" ; parl:answeringDeptSortName "Leader of the House" ; parl:hansardHeading "Written Questions" ; parl:houseId "1" ; parl:legislature ; parl:questionText "To ask the Leader of the House, how many questions to each department did not receive a substantive answer by the time of prorogation; and how long each question had been waiting for an answer." ; parl:registeredInterest false ; parl:tablingMember ; parl:tablingMemberConstituency "Plymouth, Moor View" ; parl:tablingMemberPrinted "Alison Seabeck" ; parl:uin "199244" ; dcterms:date "2014-06-05"^^xsd:dateTime . parl:answer ; parl:answeringDeptId "34" ; parl:answeringDeptPrinted "Leader of the House" ; parl:answeringDeptShortName "Leader of the House" ; parl:answeringDeptSortName "Leader of the House" ; parl:hansardHeading "Sinn Féin" ; parl:houseId "1" ; parl:legislature ; parl:questionText "To ask the Leader of the House, what his policy is on hon. Members of the Sinn Fein Party formally taking their seat in the House." ; parl:registeredInterest false ; parl:tablingMember ; parl:tablingMemberConstituency "Upper Bann" ; parl:tablingMemberPrinted "David Simpson" ; parl:uin "203966" ; dcterms:date "2014-07-03"^^xsd:dateTime . parl:answerText "

The Office of the Leader of the House of Commons is part of the Cabinet Office. The information requested is not held centrally.

" ; parl:answeringMember ; parl:answeringMemberConstituency "South Cambridgeshire" ; parl:answeringMemberPrinted "Mr Andrew Lansley" ; parl:dateOfAnswer "2014-04-28"^^xsd:dateTime ; parl:isMinisterialCorrection false ; parl:questionFirstAnswered "2014-04-28T12:00:00.00Z"^^xsd:dateTime . parl:answer ; parl:answeringDeptId "34" ; parl:answeringDeptPrinted "Leader of the House" ; parl:answeringDeptShortName "Leader of the House" ; parl:answeringDeptSortName "Leader of the House" ; parl:houseId "1" ; parl:legislature ; parl:questionText "To ask the Leader of the House, if he will introduce and consult upon proposals for the Standards Committee to be replaced by a body consisting of a majority of lay members with representation of more than three hon. Members without voting rights." ; parl:registeredInterest false ; parl:tablingMember ; parl:tablingMemberConstituency "Walsall North" ; parl:tablingMemberPrinted "Mr David Winnick" ; parl:uin "196096" ; dcterms:date "2014-04-09"^^xsd:dateTime . rdfs:label "Biography information for Lord Lansley" . parl:answerText "

The House strengthened its own procedures in January 2013 by reconstituting the Committee on Standards to include lay member representation, with a specific right to submit an opinion on any report of that Committee and to have it published.

I have had recent discussions with the Chair of the Committee on Standards, the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards and other interested parties on ensuring that the standards regime for Members is as robust as it can be.

I expect the Committee on Standards to announce shortly terms of reference for an inquiry examining the current system, which draws on the recent report by the lay members of that Committee. I expect to follow up my discussions with the Committee on Standards in order further to strengthen lay members' scrutiny of standards matters. If any Member wishes to bring forward specific proposals for improvements to the system, this is of course something that both the Committee and the House will wish to consider.

" ; parl:answeringMember ; parl:answeringMemberConstituency "South Cambridgeshire" ; parl:answeringMemberPrinted "Mr Andrew Lansley" ; parl:dateOfAnswer "2014-04-28"^^xsd:dateTime ; parl:isMinisterialCorrection false ; parl:questionFirstAnswered "2014-04-28T12:00:00.00Z"^^xsd:dateTime . rdfs:label "Biography information for David Simpson" . parl:answer ; parl:answeringDeptId "34" ; parl:answeringDeptPrinted "Leader of the House" ; parl:answeringDeptShortName "Leader of the House" ; parl:answeringDeptSortName "Leader of the House" ; parl:hansardHeading "Written Questions" ; parl:houseId "1" ; parl:legislature ; parl:questionText "To ask the Leader of the House, what guidance he has given to his ministerial colleagues about providing substantive answers to written questions." ; parl:registeredInterest false ; parl:tablingMember ; parl:tablingMemberConstituency "Hackney South and Shoreditch" ; parl:tablingMemberPrinted "Meg Hillier" ; parl:uin "203894" ; dcterms:date "2014-07-03"^^xsd:dateTime . a api:Page ; "10"^^xsd:long ; "1"^^xsd:long ; "8"^^xsd:long ; dcterms:isPartOf ; api:definition ; api:extendedMetadataVersion ; api:items ( ) ; api:page "0"^^xsd:long ; . a api:ListEndpoint ; dcterms:hasPart ; api:definition .