Question

To ask the hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney, representing the House of Commons Commission, what steps the Commission is taking to support the work of the House of Commons Table Office; and what assessment the Commission has made of the contribution of that Office in supporting hon. Members with parliamentary questions.

In addition to producing the Order Paper each day and receiving applications for adjournment debates in the House and Westminster Hall, since the beginning of this Parliament, the Table Office has processed nearly 74,000 Questions for Written Answer and over 1,600 Early Day Motions. The Office also carries out the daily “shuffle” for oral questions, and provides the secretariat to the Backbench Business Committee.

The Office is staffed by a team of 16 people, ten of whom process parliamentary questions as part of their wider duties, working on a rota system to provide continuous cover when the House is sitting.

The work of the Office has recently been improved by enhancements to the back end of the MemberHub system, making it easier to find similar or duplicate questions. Further enhancements to the Office’s digital platforms will be delivered later in the year.

Members are required to take responsibility for Questions tabled and I would encourage colleagues to visit the Lower Table Office, directly outside the Chamber, to discuss any queries.