Question

To ask The Senior Deputy Speaker why there is a limit on the number of oral and written questions that Members of the House of Lords may table to scrutinise the performance and the legislation of His Majesty's Government.

The maximum of 6 questions for written answer a day is a longstanding convention of the House. Following a recommendation in the Procedure Committee’s second report (1988-89), the House agreed that this convention should be recorded in the Companion to the Standing Orders. The Committee stated that this convention ‘helps ensure prompt attention for those questions which are tabled’. In 2012, the Procedure Committee recommended that members should be limited to a maximum of 12 questions for written answer each sitting week: this was agreed by the House on 26 March 2012.

The cap on the number of oral questions a member can table of 7 questions in each calendar year was recommended by the Procedure Committee and agreed by the House on 24 April 2013. This followed a consultation carried out by the Procedure Committee which concluded that the House should encourage participation by a greater number of members. Before the cap was implemented only six members tabled more than 7 questions a year. The limit of four topical oral questions was agreed by the House in the Procedure Committee’s fifth report (2001-02) as part of the recommendation of the Leader’s Group on working practices.

The Procedure and Privileges Committee keeps the procedures of the House under review, and I am always happy to discuss the procedures of the House with members.