Constitutional & Democratic
18mentions · last 12 months↓
View full analysis →Scrutiny of the House of Commons' standing orders, procedures and parliamentary business falls within the remit of the Procedure Committee. The committee sits in the Commons as a select committee and regularly takes oral evidence from witnesses including parliamentary officials, government ministers and external experts. Its work shapes how the House operates day-to-day and examines whether existing rules serve Parliament effectively. Recent inquiry work has focused on the sub judice rule and whether it prevents Parliament from discussing matters before the courts appropriately, hearing from the Attorney General and Baroness Scotland among others. The committee has also examined delays in the written parliamentary questions system and explored how opposition parties view its operation, alongside considering procedural reforms raised by the Leader of the House. Elections administration in Parliament, including evidence from the Electoral Reform Society Chief Executive, has formed part of its broader examination of House management practices.
15 sessions published in the last 12 months
Click any cell in the heatmap to see the sessions held that day and the insights extracted from them.
156 insights
06 Jul 2026
The Committee scrutinised the FCDO’s sharp deterioration in written parliamentary question (WPQ) timeliness, and the Department’s explanation that travel, ministerial churn, international crises, policy change and concentrated demand on a small number of Ministers drove delays. Ministers and officials described reforms now lifting performance above 90%, including tighter triage, weekly dashboards, better ministerial/private-office coordination, training, and plans for a new case-management system from early 2027. The session also examined the quality-versus-speed trade-off, the use of “I refer” answers, concerns about AI-generated questions, duplicate and recess questions, and whether Commons/Lords procedures should be changed to improve scrutiny.
17 Jun 2026
The Committee scrutinised the Department for Education’s sharp decline in written parliamentary question performance and pressed Ministers and officials on the causes, bottlenecks and recovery plan. Josh MacAlister said the Department’s performance was “poor”, committed to reaching 85% by the end of November 2026, and set out four fixes: streamline processes, improve visibility and accountability, introduce a new case management system by September 2026, and add temporary resource. Witnesses also discussed automation and AI in PQ handling, with a clear insistence that human judgment and ministerial sign-off remain central. Members challenged the role of special advisers, named day questions, late redrafts, and whether the Department was relying too much on clearance bottlenecks rather than ministerial accountability. The Department said it was learning from other departments, chairing a cross-government WPQ network, and improving public access to data to reduce demand for information requests.
10 Jun 2026
The Committee scrutinised the operation of written parliamentary questions (WPQs), focusing on rising volumes, duplicate questions, recess tabling, cut-off times, carding, factual basis requirements, departmental transfers and blocks, and the distinction between approving questions and answering them. The Table Office witnesses said the system is under strain and needs a long-term rethink about purpose and sustainability, rather than resourcing alone. They indicated support for earlier eQM deadlines, clearer Government communication on blocks, and possible Committee/House decisions on recess limits, while stressing that any rule changes are ultimately for the House. They also confirmed that the Table Office does not judge ministerial answers, but can help Members pursue dissatisfied answers through other parliamentary tools.
03 Jun 2026
This session of the Procedure Committee on 2026-06-03 examined the Written Parliamentary Questions (WPQs) system. Witnesses, mainly backbench MPs from across parties, stressed WPQs as a crucial tool for rapid ministerial responses, constituent-casework, and holding the Government to account, while also highlighting systemic strains: high volumes burdening Clerks/Table Office, inconsistent Departmental responses, and the need for more resources and process tweaks (e.g., recess handling). Witnesses called for targeted improvements rather than restricting MPs’ use, with broad discussion of AI usage, staff workloads, and governance of carding and pre-approval of questions. The session identified potential government-commitment signals around resource allocation to support WPQs, and a push for clearer, more consistent handling across Departments, including during recess.
20 May 2026
The Procedure Committee examined how written parliamentary questions (WPQs) and Freedom of Information (FOI) requests interact, highlighting differences in regimes, overlaps, and potential reforms. Expert witnesses from academia, journalism and civil society outlined the distinct purposes of WPQs and FOI, and called for a conversion mechanism to allow an appeal route for WPQs like FOI. The Information Commissioner’s Office described FOI’s appeal pathway and rising volumes, while Cabinet Office officials explained cross-government FOI coordination, performance standards (including a 90% timeliness target) and the current limits on Minister sign‑off. The session also explored the impact of AI on FOI queries and information transparency, and MPs’ use of FOI alongside WPQs.
22 Apr 2026
In the 22 April 2026 Procedure Committee evidence session, MPs questioned two opposition witnesses about written parliamentary questions (WPQs), the Table Office’s handling of WPQs, and the impact of question volume on departmental work. The witnesses pressed for clearer rules and more scope to ask questions, cautioned against over-burdening the Table Office, highlighted delays in government responses and the resulting proliferation of WPQs and FOIs, and urged greater transparency and public education about WPQs. They also proposed mechanisms such as department-league tables to incentivise timely replies and called for clarifying the public-duty basis for information disclosure.
03 Jun 2026