Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Leader of the House:
To ask the Leader of the House, what steps he is taking to ensure named day Written Parliamentary Questions are answered in a timely manner.
Answered by Alan Campbell - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
Parliament has a right to scrutinise Ministers, and hold the Government to account. I expect Hon. Members to receive timely and helpful responses to their questions.
I have written to all Members of Cabinet and spoken with Departmental Parliamentary Clerks and Departmental Permanent Secretaries to remind departments and Ministers about the importance of providing full and helpful responses to parliamentary questions.
In addition, the House of Commons Procedure Committee monitors departmental performance in responding to Written Parliamentary Questions (WPQs). The Committee is currently undertaking an inquiry into WPQs to which the Government has provided written evidence (available at: https://committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/161782/pdf/), and their sessional reporting continues to be an effective tool to hold Departments to account.
Further to the question the Hon. Member raised with me at Business Questions on 26 March, I have pursued the matter with the Cabinet Office, and have been informed that the Hon. Gentleman has received the response that he sought.
I continue to encourage Hon. Members to raise any specific issues they may have with myself or my office.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Leader of the House:
To ask the Leader of the House, what steps hon. Members can take to seek answers to Named Day parliamentary questions in instances where those questions are not answered by the day named in the question.
Answered by Alan Campbell - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
Parliament has a right to scrutinise Ministers, and hold the Government and public bodies to account. I expect Hon. Members to receive timely and helpful responses to their questions.
The House of Commons Procedure Committee monitors departmental performance in responding to Written Parliamentary Questions (WPQs). The Committee is currently undertaking an inquiry into WPQs to which the Government has provided written evidence (available at: https://committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/161782/pdf/), and their sessional reporting continues to be an effective tool to hold Departments to account.
Further to the question the Hon. Member raised with me during the Business Question on Thursday 26 March 2026, I raised the matter with the Cabinet Office and have been informed that the Hon. Member has now received a response.
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Leader of the House:
To ask the Leader of the House, what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help reduce the number of Impact Assessments for Bills that were published late in the process.
Answered by Alan Campbell - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
The Guide to Making Legislation makes clear that, when they are required, impact assessments should be published alongside bills. Government departments are responsible for publication of any required impact assessments.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the Leader of the House:
To ask the Leader of the House, whether he plans to introduce a ban on second jobs for hon. Members.
Answered by Alan Campbell - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
As outlined in our manifesto, the Government is committed to the principle that second jobs for Members of Parliament should be banned outside of very limited exceptions, such as maintaining professional qualifications.
The Committee on Standards is currently undertaking an inquiry into MPs’ employment and outside interests, and I look forward to working with the Committee as this work progresses.
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Leader of the House:
To ask the Leader of the House, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of Departmental answers to written Parliamentary Questions where information is refused because a document is not already in the public domain.
Answered by Alan Campbell - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
As set out in the Ministerial Code, Ministers "should be as open as possible with Parliament and the public, refusing to provide information only when disclosure would not be in the public interest".
I have written to all Members of Cabinet and spoken with Departmental Parliamentary Clerks and Permanent Secretaries to remind departments and Ministers about the importance of providing full and helpful responses to Written Parliamentary Questions (WPQs).
In addition, the House of Commons Procedure Committee is currently undertaking an inquiry into WPQs, and I look forward to working with the Committee as this work progresses.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Leader of the House:
To ask the Leader of the House, pursuant to the answer of 20 November 2025 to Question 91457 on Written Questions: Government Responses, if he will publish his letter.
Answered by Alan Campbell - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
It is a long-established precedent that internal government correspondence is not normally shared publicly.
Asked by: Ayoub Khan (Independent - Birmingham Perry Barr)
Question to the Leader of the House:
To ask the Leader of the House, if he will facilitate a vote on proposals for financial redress contained in the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman report on changes to women's State Pension age, published on 21 March 2024.
Answered by Alan Campbell - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
The Government has made its decision on this case based on due process and careful consideration of the body of evidence. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State made a statement to the House of Commons (available at: https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2026-01-29) and the detailed reasons for this decision have been placed in the House library (available at: https://depositedpapers.parliament.uk/depositedpaper/2287768/details).
There are a number of mechanisms at the disposal of Members should they wish to bring these matters forward for further debate.
Asked by: James Cleverly (Conservative - Braintree)
Question to the Leader of the House:
To ask the Leader of the House, what guidance he issues to Departments on whether they may decline to publish or signpost information which has otherwise been released to members of the public under Freedom of Information laws.
Answered by Alan Campbell - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
The Guide to Parliamentary Work (available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guide-to-parliamentary-work), published by my office, sets out the government's position regarding the relationship between the treatment of requests for information through parliamentary questions and the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act 2000. Paragraph 221 states that “if information would be released under FOI, it would also be released in response to a WPQ”.
I have written to all Members of Cabinet and spoken with Departmental Parliamentary Clerks and Permanent Secretaries to remind departments and Ministers about the importance of providing full and helpful responses to WPQs.
In addition, the House of Commons Procedure Committee recently launched an inquiry into WPQs which is considering the interaction between WPQs and FOIs. I look forward to working with the Committee as this work progresses.
Asked by: Rebecca Paul (Conservative - Reigate)
Question to the Leader of the House:
To ask the Leader of the House, whether he has had discussions with the House Authorities on guidance issued on parliamentary engagement with organisations whom the Government have banned engagement with.
Answered by Alan Campbell - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
No such conversations have taken place between myself and the House Authorities.
Asked by: Will Forster (Liberal Democrat - Woking)
Question to the Leader of the House:
To ask the Leader of the House, if he will take steps to review the membership of the Privy Council.
Answered by Alan Campbell - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
There are no current plans to review membership of the Privy Council. Information regarding membership and the arrangements for appointment to the Council is publicly available on the Privy Council Office website.