TNAG-2053-FCO40-2926-Hong-Kong-parliamentary-matters-1990 — Page 120

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or distribution to all Desk Officers

SOME HINTS ON HOW TO ANSWER A PQ

1. Keep your answer brief and to the point. afraid of one word answers.

Do not be

If you cannot avoid going above 50 words, check with PRU beforehand. Avoid using jargon.

Oral PQs

2.

The FCO is "tops" for Questions about once a month. The questions are received in the FCO about 10 days before "tops" day, and departments normally have a week to prepare their answers. Usually only about 14 PQs are reached, but because it sometimes happens that MPs are not present to ask their questions, or because they withdraw them, oral PQ numbers 1-20 must be accompanied by supplementaries. Numbers 21-28 must be accompanied by a page of bull points (or by supplementaries if these are more readily available) just in case they are reached. Answers to PQS which are not reached will automatically appear in Hansard as written replies.

3. Submissions are very rarely needed. Simply have your Head of Department or Assistant sign off the bottom right hand corner of the draft answer paper.

A background note should be attached unless you know that your Minister is wholly familiar with the subject.

4.

5. If you receive a PQ which you know should be answered by another Department within the Office, you can transfer it (by negotiation), but please tell PRU. If a PQ should be answered by another Whitehall Government Department it is for you to negotiate its transfer with that Department. agreed PRU will arrange its formal transfer.

Private Notice Questions (PNQ)

6.

Once

It

PNQS may be tabled any day between 10.00 am and noon. is up to the Speaker to decide whether to allow a PNQ, but you will always be informed immediately by telephone and you should give a PNQ absolute priority. If it is allowed, the Minister will answer it the same afternoon. As with oral PQS full supplementaries are required. Some time before noon PRU will ask you over the telephone for factual information in order to help the Speaker make a decision on whether or not to allow the PNQ. You must always assume it will be allowed until told otherwise by PRU.

Written PQS

1.

Written PQs may be tabled any day for answer, some 48 hours. They must therefore be processed swiftly. short background and no supplementaries are required.

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