Vexed Bermoothes

A reader reminds me that MP John Barritt highlighted the PLP’s suppression of parliamentary questions in a submission to the UK FCO Foreign Affairs Committee a few months ago.

Mr. Barritt also complained about rules which said Ministers cannot be asked more than three questions per sitting which he said “constitutes a further limitation as some Ministers have responsibility for multiple departments”.

He noted questions must be submitted ten days in advance and those which cannot be asked and answered within the first hour of meeting are reduced to writing and thus there is no opportunity for supplementary questions on the floor of the House.

But Mr. Barritt added: “There is no sanction for Ministers who decline to answer questions or defer them to when they prefer to answer them.

“On the other hand, Government Ministers are at liberty in the first hour to read Ministerial statements which are not subject at that time to either question or debate.”

And Mr. Barritt complained about the practice of ministers running down the time allowed in the Budget debate with waffle which he said stifled debate and prevented a close examination of spending.

“It hardly makes possible the meaningful oversight which might reasonably be expected — and required — in a modern parliamentary jurisdiction.”

He said the Opposition had attempted to institute change but on each occasion over the past eight years the Rules and Privileges Committee [controlled by PLP MPs] had rejected change.