To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the evidence given before the Communities and Local Government Committee (HC 106-ii) on 4 December 2006, if she will place in the Library a copy of the new guidance she has issued to senior civil servants on answering parliamentary questions. (114402)

I have deposited in the Library of the House a copy of the guidance issued on parliamentary questions.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many parliamentary questions were tabled to her Department in 2006, broken down by (a) ordinary written and (b) named day; what percentage of ordinary written questions were answered within 10 working days; and what percentage of named day questions were answered by the specified date. (115324)

In 2006, 3,665 ordinary written questions and 543 named day questions were tabled to the Department for Communities and Local Government and its predecessor Department the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. Of the questions that have been answered, 89 per cent. of ordinary written questions were answered within 10 working days and 58 per cent. of named day questions were answered on the specified date.