To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many questions tabled for answer on a named day his Department received in each of the last 12 months; and to how many such questions his Department provided a substantive answer on the day named. (305375)

DEFRA received 551 questions for answer on a named day between 1 January 2009 and 31 December 2009. Of those, 319 received an answer on the named day.

Central guidance on answering Parliamentary Questions is now available in the “Guide to Parliamentary Work”, at:

http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/parliamentary-clerk-guide.aspx

In the response to the Procedure Committee Report on written parliamentary questions, the Government accepted the Committee's recommendation that departments be required to provide the Procedure Committee with sessional statistics in a standard format on the time taken to respond to written parliamentary questions, accompanied by an explanatory memorandum setting out any factors affecting their performance. This will be taken forward as soon as possible.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many and what percentage of Parliamentary Questions tabled for written answer by his Department on a named day in session 2008-09 received a substantive answer on that day. (307541)

DEFRA received 545 questions for answer on a named day in session 2008-09. Of those, 282 or 51.7 per cent. received an answer on the named day.

Central guidance on answering parliamentary questions is now available in the “Guide to Parliamentary Work”, at:

http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/parliamentary-clerk-guide.aspx

In the response to the Procedure Committee Report on written parliamentary questions, the Government accepted the Committee’s recommendation that Departments be required to provide the Procedure Committee with sessional statistics in a standard format on the time taken to respond to written parliamentary questions, accompanied by an explanatory memorandum setting out any factors affecting their performance. This will be taken forward as soon as possible.