Committee publication · Correspondence · 21 May 2026
Correspondence from the Chair to the Department for Culture, Media & Sport, relating to Written Parliamentary Questions performance, dated 7 April 2026 and the reply, dated 28 April 2026
From: Procedure Committee
Inquiry: Written Parliamentary Questions: Departmental performance in Session 2024-26
Summary
The Procedure Committee Chair wrote to the Culture Secretary on 7 April 2026 expressing concern about DCMS's declining performance in answering Written Parliamentary Questions, with rates falling to 76% (named day) and 73% (ordinary) against an 85% standard. The Secretary responded on 28 April confirming remedial measures underway and reporting improvement to 88% and 87% respectively between January and April 2026.
Key findings
- DCMS performance on Written Parliamentary Questions fell significantly in the period 9 December 2024 – 28 November 2025 to 76% of named day and 73% of ordinary questions answered on time, against the expected 85% threshold.
- DCMS experienced a 68% increase in WPQ volume per sitting day compared with Session 2023-24, but the Committee noted other departments with larger increases maintained better performance standards.
- The Secretary of State acknowledged the performance drop and confirmed implementation of remedial measures including streamlining of WPQ clearances prior to receiving the letter.
- DCMS reported improvement between 1 January 2026 and 24 April 2026, reaching 88% of named day questions and 87% of ordinary questions answered on time following measures including staff training and engagement with Department for Energy Security and Net Zero best practice.
- The Committee suggested DCMS learn from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, which achieved almost 100% timely response rates despite receiving 50% more questions in the session.
Government position
The Secretary of State acknowledges the performance shortfall and partially accepts the Committee's concerns. She confirms that remedial measures have been implemented including streamlined WPQ clearances, regular training sessions, and collaboration with Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. The government reports improvement since January 2026 and commits to continuing close monitoring and prioritisation of WPQ responses, though does not explicitly address the specific question about expected timeline to reach the 85% threshold across both categories.
Tone
CriticalTopics
Key actors
Cat Smith MP, Lisa Nandy MP, Ed Miliband MP, Caroline Dinenage MP, Department for Culture, Media & Sport, Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, Procedure Committee
Notable line
“DCMS's performance has fallen to 76% of named day and 73% of ordinary questions answered on time.”
Key Quotes
“… we were concerned about the declining performance of your department given previous strong performance”
“… many other departments have also seen large increases in volumes but have not seen their performance deteriorate to the same degree”
“Responding to parliamentary scrutiny in a constructive and timely manner is a key priority for me and my ministerial team”
“I acknowledge that our performance dropped in 2025 below the standards I would expect”
“… between 1 January 2026 and 24 April 2026, DCMS answered88% of named day questions on time and87% of ordinary questions within five days.”
Source · parliament.uk record ↗