16.
-4-
if any matter is raised that is not covered in
the advance briefing.
Since Ministers in the House of Lords have far fewer Oral Questions to deal with at any one time, the deadline for submitting replies is set later than for House of Commons Oral Questions, normally 2 or 3 days before the Question is due to be answered.
House of Lords: Written Questions
17.
The
Peers can also put down Questions for Written Answer. procedure for dealing with them is similar to that for Non-Priority Written Questions in the House of Commons.
Prime Minister's Questions
18. The Prime Minister answers questions for 15 minutes every
Tuesday and Thursday. It is very rare for there to be a Question on Hong Kong, but if there is the procedure for handling it is similar to the procedure for Oral Questions in the House of Commons. Questions to the Prime Minister give MPs the chance to examine the broad lines of Government policy, and supplementaries are allowed to range very widely. A typical question might be:
"To ask the Prime Minister whether she will visit Hong Kong". Whatever the reply, this then gives the questioner (or any other Member) the opportunity to ask a supplementary concerning any aspect of Hong Kong Government policy or British Government policy towards Hong Kong that may be giving him cause for concern at that moment. We therefore have to provide very comprehensive notes for supplementaries, covering all current topics of concern relating to Hong Kong. It is also possible when some aspect of Hong Kong affairs is in the news here that a supplementary question to the Prime Minister will be asked about that topic even though the original question had nothing to do with Hong Kong. Where the Prime Minister's Office think that this is likely to happen, we are asked to provide briefing at short notice - usually on the day that the question is due to be asked. There is therefore no time to consult Hong Kong by telegram, though if we are in doubt about what advice to give, we would consult Hong Kong by telephone.
19. MPS may also put down Questions for Written Answer by the Prime Minister. Draft replies and background notes are prepared in a similar way and on a similar timetable to those for Non-Priority Written Questions to FCO Ministers.
Private Notice Questions
20. MPs may, with the Speaker's permission, ask questions "by private notice" on subjects of urgent public concern. These are answered, orally, on the same day as they are put down. Departments therefore have no more than an hour or so in which to prepare draft answers and notes for supplementaries. Fortunately, Private Notice Questions relating to Hong Kong are rare: if one were asked, and we needed to consult Hong Kong, we would do so by telephone.
/Early Day Motions