Questions to the Welsh Secretary: 3 November 2010
4 November 2010 (updated on 22 November 2010)
The Secretary of State for Wales, Cheryl Gillan, answered MPs' questions on subjects including proposed court closures, child poverty, S4C and support for the Welsh economy.
- Video and Audio: Questions to the Welsh Secretary
- Commons Hansard: Questions to the Welsh Secretary
- About Parliament: Question Time
MPs asked questions on:
- proposed court closures
- funding for the National Assembly for Wales
- exemptions from the Severn Bridge Toll
- child poverty in Wales
- constitutional reform
- economy of seaside towns in Wales
- employment opportunities
- effect on Wales of the Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bil
- rail infrastructure projects
- S4C
- decentralisation of power to local communities
- the Department for Wales budget
- Government support for the economy in Wales
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.