Parliamentary Questions

Abstract

Parliamentary Questions is a selection of recent written questions from MPs to government ministers in the House of Commons. The answers from ministers highlighted in this section focus on social security matters which may be of general interest to readers. Published in daily and weekly editions of Hansard, questions and answers across a range of issues can also now be found online at www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm/cmhansrd.htm. In addition to written parliamentary questions, Hansard also covers Oral Answers from the ministers in the Department for Work and Pensions on a regular basis. In recent months, ministers have also started making written ministerial statements on occasions. These are printed just before the written answers in Hansard, and often cover announcements of substantive policy changes or the publication of reports etc. Because of the availability of parliamentary answers on the website, only a few significant answers will be reproduced in full in Benefits from now on. Other important answers will be listed, in chronological date order within each topic. (Please note that this will not be a complete list of parliamentary answers on social security benefits, but only those which the contributor thinks fairly important.) The answers below start from January 2003, and cover January and most of February. There are unfortunately none from November or December 2002, due to the changeover of contributor for Parliamentary Questions from Marilyn Howard to Fran Bennett.