In addition to oral questions, MPs and Peers can ask government ministers questions for written answer. These are often used to obtain detailed information about policies and statistics on the activities of government departments.
'Ordinary' questions
In the House of Commons 'ordinary' questions do not have to be answered on a specific date. An MP will date a written question for two days after they have tabled it (ie, submitted it for answer via the Table Office).
The convention is that the MP can expect it to be answered within seven days of the question being tabled. However, there is no parliamentary rule that states ordinary written questions have to be answered by a certain date.
Read Commons questions for written answer
House of Lords written questions
All House of Lords written questions follow a similar procedure. Lords enter questions on the Order Paper via the Table Office. Lords may table up to six questions each day and can expect an answer within 14 days.
Read Lords questions for written answer
'Named day' questions
'Named day' questions only occur in the House of Commons. The MP tabling the question specifies the date on which they should receive an answer. The MP must give a minimum of two days' notice for these types of question. MPs may not table more than five named day questions on a single day.
Questions originally tabled for oral answer that do not get answered at oral question time are submitted to the government department as named day questions.
Answers
Answers are sent directly to the MP or Lord and printed in Hansard along with the original question.
Read written answers in Hansard
'Will write' answers
Occasionally Commons questions are answered in Hansard with 'I will write to the Hon Member ...' The subsequent letters are not published in Commons Hansard but placed in the House of Commons Library for MPs' use (but the House of Commons Information Office can supply copies of these).
Contact the House of Commons Information Office
Written Ministerial Statements
Until 2002 the government often used written answers to make statements but these are now published separately.