Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Bethell on 14 May (HL3016), what criteria were used in determining that the answer given was "excellent", as indicated in Lord Bethell's tweet that same day; and what assessment they have made of which elements of the question were adequately answered.

Written Parliamentary Questions are drafted by policy teams specialised in the subject and cleared at Senior Civil Servant level. As per Departmental guidance, answers must aim to be clear, relevant and informative; answer all aspects of the question; be accurate and not misleading; and phrased in a simple and logical way.

At a time of unprecedented pressure on the Department and a marked increase in the number of Written Questions, I am proud of my officials’ efforts to keep Parliament informed while tackling this immense national challenge.