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Executive Agencies

Volume 195: debated on Tuesday 23 July 1991

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To ask the Prime Minister if he will set out those areas for which ministers are referring parliamentary questions for reply to next steps executive agencies.

The Government's policy for dealing with parliamentary questions on matters delegated to executive agencies was set out in their response to the Eighth Report of the Treasury and Civil Service Committee (October 1990, Cm 1263) as follows:

"It is for Ministers responsible for particular Agencies to respond in the way they consider most helpful and appropriate to inquiries raised by Members … In the case of Parliamentary Questions concerning day-to-day operational matters delegated to the Agency, Ministers will normally arrange for the Chief Executive to write to the Member (and will reply to this effect in Hansard)".

All replies to hon. Members from agency chief executives, other than those concerning personal or confidential matters, are available in the Library.

The Government's intention is that replies about the carrying out of Government business are full, prompt and as helpful as possible. The arrangements we have are intended to achieve this and they are kept under review.