Scottish Questions: 21 July 2010
22 July 2010 (updated on 13 August 2010)
In the first oral questions to the Secretary of State for Scotland of the new Parliament, Michael Moore answered MPs' questions on subjects including the economy and devolution.
- Video and Audio: Questions to the Scottish Secretary
- Commons Hansard: Questions to the Scottish Secretary
- About Parliament: Question Time
MPs asked questions on:
- the Scottish economy
- equalising the size of constituencies
- the future jobs fund
- the Calman Commission on Scottish Devolution
- the West Lothian Question
- the devolution settlement
- the computer games industry
- the VAT increase
- the A1 road upgrade
- the implications for the Scottish economy of the strategic defence and security review
- the work of the Advocate General
Question Time in the Commons
Question Time takes place for an hour, Monday to Thursday, after prayers. Each government department answers questions according to a rota called the Order of Oral Questions. The questions asked must relate to the responsibilities of the government department concerned.
Commons oral questions are tabled by MPs at least three days in advance of Question Time. The questions are then printed in the Commons Questions Book. The order in which the questions are asked is determined randomly by a computer.
MPs who are called by the Speaker to ask their question do not read it out, but simply call out its number. When the government minister has replied, the MP can ask another question (known as a supplementary) and other MPs may also be called to ask supplementary questions. The Minister must reply to each in turn.
Supplementary questions must be on the same subject as the original question.