To ask the Secretary of State for Education what his involvement is in authorising releases of responses to written parliamentary questions that have been submitted by the hon. Member for West Bromwich East in which information has been requested in relation to his responsibilities or the functioning of his private ministerial office.

Ministers respond to the parliamentary questions relevant to their departmental policy' portfolios. By convention the Secretary of State for Education does not respond to parliamentary questions and has no involvement in authorising his Ministers' answers. To ensure all Members' questions were answered at the end of last parliamentary session the Secretary of State made an exception to this convention and cleared a small number of questions, which were answered in his name.