Question to the Leader of the House:

To ask the Leader of the House, what guidance he has given to Departments on disclosing information in answers to Parliamentary Questions which have been disclosed under the Freedom of Information Act.

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 - including their obligations to disclose information in WPQs that would be released under FOI.

In addition, the House of Commons Procedure Committee is conducting an inquiry into WPQs which is considering the interaction between WPQs and FOIs. I look forward to working with the Committee and giving oral evidence in due course.

As I have previously said, I encourage Hon. Members to raise any specific issues they may have with myself.