Ministerial responses to parliamentary questions: some recent concerns

Examines allegations that the convention of individual ministerial responsibility and the Ministerial Code have been breached and that ministers have been failing in their duty to provide information in response to parliamentary questions. Considers how the ability to challenge a failure to provide information will improve after the Freedom of Information Act 2000 comes into force and explains the current position in Scotland, Wales and England respectively. Describes particular problems in departmental practice of: (1) compliance with standards; (2) delay; (3) incomplete and irrelevant responses; (4) refusals on the grounds of disproportionate costs or unavailability; and (5) falsification. Looks at the responses to the problems of the Public Administration Select Committee, the Speaker and the Parliamentary Ombudsman.