To ask the Leader of the House, what guidance her Department has issued on how the policy and work of non-ministerial departments can be scrutinised by (a) oral and (b) written Parliamentary Questions.

The Ministerial Code gives guidance to Ministers on their responsibilities. Section 1.6(a) states that “Ministers have a duty to Parliament to account, and be held to account, for the policies, decisions and actions of their departments and agencies”. It is expected that ministers from sponsoring departments can answer questions on behalf of non-ministerial departments they sponsor. This is true for both oral and written Parliamentary Questions.

Additional guidance on answering Parliamentary Questions is available to departments in the Guide to Parliamentary Work.