To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how long on average his Department took to answer (a) ordinary written and (b) named day questions in each of the last three years. (215463)

The Department for International Development is committed to responding to written parliamentary questions promptly. Since the start of the 2007-08 Session to date:

(a) 78 per cent. of 1,091 ordinary written questions have been answered within five sitting days.

(b) 87 per cent. of 217 named day questions have been answered on the day specified.

Information to the level of detail requested could not be provided without incurring disproportionate cost.