IMMEDIATE
par Rels w. Parl
(Front of Kile)
FCO Circular No.: 256/93
Date: 15 July 1993
Distribution :
Heads of Department and Above
PROCEDURE FOR HANDLING PARLIAMENTARY QUESTIONS
1.
The MRS review of long hours and working practices contained several recommendations for simplifying procedures in order to save time and cut the volume of paper. One of the recommendations, approved by the Board of Management, was that Parliamentary Relations Unit (PRU) should investigate whether it would be possible to simplify the procedures for processing PQs. PRU has reviewed the procedures and its recommendations have been approved by Ministers. Though modest they should alleviate some of the pressure in the busiest Departments and go some way towards reducing the amount of paperwork.
2. The changes, to take immediate effect, are:
(a) Heads of Departments have discretion to delegate responsibility for final clearance of answers to PQs to DS5, Heads of Sections. The PUS encourages Heads of Departments to exercise this discretion.
(b) Ministers have accepted that replies to oral PQs need only be submitted twice and not three times as at present. This will mean that Departments will no longer have to return draft replies to PRU on the Wednesday following initial receipt of the PQS the preceding Thursday. Instead Departments will be required to submit draft replies to PRU by 1000 on the Friday immediately before TOPS. This gives Departments an additional 2 days in which to prepare the initial draft reply and offers the opportunity of more topicality in answers and supplementaries.
3. These changes will be included in DSP Volume 2 (Parliamentary Work) which is currently under revision. Enquiries on the new procedures should be addressed to Jim Rodgers, Parliamentary Clerk (270-2239).
Dick Thomson
Parliamentary Relations Unit
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