A Guide to Written Parliamentary Questions
Written questions are one of the most powerful — and underused — tools for extracting policy commitments, data, and Government positions. Here's how to use them.
1. What are written questions?
Written parliamentary questions (often called PQs) are formal questions submitted by MPs and Lords to Government ministers. Unlike oral questions asked during debates, written questions are submitted and answered in text — and the answers are published in Hansard.
Any MP or Lord can table a written question at any time. The relevant Government department must provide an answer, typically within 5-7 working days for ordinary questions, or on a named day for "named day" questions.
There are approximately 40,000-50,000 written questions tabled each parliamentary session, making them the single largest source of Government policy statements outside of legislation itself.
2. Types of written question
Ordinary Written Questions
The most common type. Tabled at any time, answered within 5-7 working days. Used for routine requests for information, data, or policy positions.
Named Day Questions
The MP specifies a date on which the answer must be provided, with at least two sitting days' notice. Often used when timing is critical — for example, ahead of a committee hearing or debate.
Written Ministerial Statements
Not technically questions, but closely related. Ministers proactively publish written statements to announce policy changes, publish reports, or respond to events. These are easily missed but frequently contain significant developments.
3. Why they matter for public affairs
Written questions are arguably the most underrated intelligence source in Westminster. Here's why:
- They force ministerial commitments on record. A minister cannot dodge a written question the way they might in a noisy oral session. The answer is published, permanent, and citable.
- They reveal what MPs are interested in. An MP who tables five questions about water quality in one week is signalling an upcoming campaign — even if there's no media coverage yet.
- They extract data that isn't published elsewhere. Departments frequently provide statistics, spending figures, and policy details in written answers that are not available through FOI or regular publications.
- They are leading indicators. A cluster of written questions on a topic often precedes a debate, inquiry, or amendment. Monitoring PQs gives you early warning.
- They are searchable and quotable. Written answers carry the authority of a ministerial statement. "The Minister stated in a written answer on 14 March..." is a powerful line in any briefing.
4. How to find and search written questions
Written questions and answers are published on the Parliament Questions & Statements website. You can search by:
- Keyword or topic
- Answering department
- Asking MP or Lord
- Date range
- Whether answered or still outstanding
The challenge is volume. With hundreds of questions tabled daily during sitting periods, manual monitoring is impractical. Most public affairs teams either miss relevant questions entirely or spend hours each week sifting through irrelevant results.
5. How to read ministerial answers
Ministerial answers follow distinctive patterns. Learning to decode them is essential:
"The Government is considering..."
No decision has been made. This is the weakest form of commitment — often a polite way of saying "we haven't decided yet."
"The Government intends to..."
A firm signal of direction but not a binding commitment. Watch for follow-up questions that try to pin down timelines.
"The Government will..."
A ministerial commitment on the record. This can be cited in briefings and used to hold the Government to account.
"I refer the honourable Member..."
The minister is pointing to a previous answer. Often used to avoid repeating unwelcome commitments or to signal that the position hasn't changed.
"Information is not held centrally"
The department either doesn't collect this data or doesn't want to release it. This itself can be a useful finding — it reveals gaps in Government oversight.
"I will write to the Member"
The answer requires more detail than a standard PQ response. The follow-up letter is placed in the House of Commons Library and is publicly accessible.
6. Practical uses
Build an evidence base
Compile written answers on a topic over time to track how the Government's position evolves. "In January the Minister said X; by March they said Y" is powerful narrative evidence.
Brief your clients proactively
When a written answer reveals a policy shift relevant to your client, you can brief them before it appears in the media — demonstrating the value of professional monitoring.
Prepare for MP meetings
Before meeting an MP, search their recent written questions. If they've been asking about your sector, you have a natural opening for the conversation.
Support amendment drafting
Written answers that reveal gaps in Government policy can be used to justify amendments at Committee or Report stage.
7. How Emily tracks written questions
Emily ingests every written question and answer published by Parliament — typically within hours of publication. Instead of searching manually, you can:
- Ask Emily "What has the Health Secretary been asked about NHS waiting times?" and get an instant, sourced summary
- Set up alerts for questions tabled to specific departments or by specific MPs
- Track patterns — Emily identifies when multiple MPs are asking about the same topic, signalling emerging political attention
- Include relevant written answers in AI-generated briefings automatically
- Cross-reference written questions with your tracked stakeholders to spot engagement opportunities
Written questions are one of Emily's most valuable data sources. They provide the kind of granular, policy-specific intelligence that powers effective public affairs — without the hours of manual searching.
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