1. © House of Lords 2011
JohnTurner, Clerk of theTable Office
10 April 2014
Questions in the House of Lords

2. © House of Lords 2011
The Table Office
• John Turner, Elspeth Jones and Lisa Bourke
• Rotating band of “minute clerks”
• Clerk Assistant
• Business tabled up to 6pm each sitting day
• Everything checked by Clerk of the Table Office, Clerk
Assistant, Clerk of the Parliaments, Government Whips’
Office
• House of Lords Business published overnight every sitting day;
written questions e-mailed to departments

3. © House of Lords 2011
Questions: general principles
• To Her Majesty’s Government
• Or Leader of the House or Chairman of Committees
• Self-regulation

4. © House of Lords 2011
Types of questions
• Oral questions
• Secretary of State questions
• Private notice questions
• Questions for short debate (+ topical QSDs)
• Questions for written answer

5. © House of Lords 2011
Standing Order 34: Oral Questions
• Questions to which a star is attached, indicating that they are
asked for information only, may be placed on the Order
Paper for any day on which the House is sitting other than a
Friday. No debate may take place on such Questions, and
supplementary questions must be confined to the subject of
the original Question.
1 June 1954

6. © House of Lords 2011
House of Lords Business

7. © House of Lords 2011
Oral questions
• Timing – question time is 30 mins at start of business, 4
questions
• Tabling – slots available 4 weeks in advance; queues
• Ministers’ replies (75 words) and supplementary questions
• Topical questions:
– Timing
– Ballot, drawn 2 days in advance (or on Fri for Tues)
– Tests of topicality: Coverage? What’s new? Could it wait?
– “The Clerks discourage members from tabling questions
which are clearly not topical” Companion, para 6.33

8. © House of Lords 2011
Secretary of State questions
(currently not in operation)
• Timing: One Thursday a month, after oral questions
• 3 questions, 20 minutes
• Tabling: ballot drawn on the Monday
• Proceedings: same as other oral questions

9. © House of Lords 2011
Private Notice Questions
• Urgent and important
• Lord Speaker decides; consultation; no appeal to the House
• Decision taken by 12 noon; question asked at 3 to 3.30
• Timing: 10 minutes, after the topical oral question
• Number: 8 in 2012-13 (32 requests)
• 10 in 2010-12 (52 requests)
• Proceedings: much the same as other oral questions
• Repetition of Commons Urgent Questions uses same rules
(so 10 mins rather than 40)

10. © House of Lords 2011
Allowed private notice questions
• Lord Dholakia asked Her Majesty’s Government what action they
propose to take to ensure that the security of the United Kingdom is not
compromised on 30 November. (28 November 2011)
• Baroness Royall of Blaisdon asked Her Majesty’s Government in the light
of the loss of public and commercial confidence in News International
and the imminent closure of the consultation period, whether they will
suspend consideration of News Corporation's bid to take over BSkyB. (7
July 2011)

11. © House of Lords 2011
Failed private notice questions
• To ask HMG what is their response to the escalating crisis in Sudan.
• To ask HMG whether they will ensure that there are sufficient copies of
the Boundary Commission for England’s Initial Review of Parliamentary
Boundaries in England, published on 13 September, available in the
Printed Paper Office for the use of all Members of the House.
• To ask HMG, in light of the conflicting public views expressed by senior
Cabinet Ministers, whether they continue to support the Human Rights
Act 1998.
• To ask HMG whether they will extend the consultation period in respect
of their proposal to abolish hallmarking of items made from precious
metals.

12. © House of Lords 2011
Questions for short debate
• Timing: “Dinner break”, last business, Grand Committee
• Tabling: added to list whenever; Government Whip’s Office
table them (roughly) in order
• Duration: 1 or 1 ½ hours, strictly time-limited
• Although initiating a debate, still a question rather than
motion; no right of reply for initiating member
• Minister’s reply: 12 minutes

13. © House of Lords 2011
Questions for written answer
• Six per day; 12 per week; no “named day”
• Answers:
– Within 10 working days; transfers possible
– “Naughty list”; follow-up questions (Lord Jopling)
– Published in Hansard
– Sent to member; email

14. © House of Lords 2011
Highest scorers of 2012-13
Maximum possible = 426
• Baroness Tonge: 180
• Lord Hylton: 219
• Lord Myners: 263
• Lord Alton of Liverpool: 286
• Lord Laird: 382
• Top five questioners tabled 1330 questions
• Total tabled in the session = 6808

15. © House of Lords 2011
Questions: HMG responsibility
• Must relate to HMG’s responsibilities
– Not matters devolved to local authorities
– Or to devolved institutions
– Not internal affairs of another country – except regarding
human rights or matters covered by international
conventions to which the UK is party
– Not matters for the Church of England
– Not over 30 years old

16. © House of Lords 2011
Questions: eliciting information
• “The purpose of parliamentary questions is to elicit
information from the government of the day, and thus to
assist members of both Houses in holding the government to
account.”
• So should be asking for information
– Not expressing an opinion
– Not providing information
– Not hypothetical
– Not “trivial, vague or meaningless”

17. © House of Lords 2011
Questions: admissibility
• May not:
– Ask the government for a legal opinion
– Relate to matters sub judice
– Be too broad (initial oral reply in 75 words; written
answer within two columns of Hansard; disproportionate
cost for QWAs set at £800)
– Be phrased offensively
– Cast reflections on Sovereign or Royal Family
– Ask about House of Commons matters

18. © House of Lords 2011
Wording of questions
• Should be short, clear and focused
• House style