What plans she has to review procedures relating to parliamentary questions.

From the beginning of the current Session the House agreed an experiment for a period of topical questions at the end of each of the main departmental question times. This will be reviewed at the end of the current Session. The Government have no further plans for review of procedures relating to parliamentary questions, but we await with interest the report in due course from the Procedure Committee on written questions.

It is on written questions that I want to probe the Minister. I welcome the changes that mean we can table questions during the parliamentary recess, but why can we not table written questions during the entire recess just as we do on any other day? By what logic is it that if we table a written question in the recess just after the tabled cycle has been answered, it stays in a box for some weeks until the next cycle comes up? Why can it not be processed through to the Department to which the question was addressed? The situation is crazy.

Once again, my hon. Friend demonstrates his fantastic grasp of House procedure. His suggestion can be looked at further by the Procedure Committee, if not by the Government.