Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what quality assurance process is followed in approving draft responses to parliamentary questions for written answer in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

All Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) responses to House of Lords written parliamentary questions (PQs) are quality controlled to make sure they conform to: the 'Companion to the Standing Orders and Guide to the Proceedings of the House of Lords' paragraph 6.42; Cabinet Office PQ Guidance; and internal FCO Best Practice Guidance. PQs are cleared by: a Senior (SMS grade) Manager in the drafting department; officials in Ministerial Private Offices and the Parliamentary Relations Department; Special Advisers; the Minister responsible for the subject area; and the answering Minister.