Committee publication · Correspondence · 7 May 2025
Reply from the Secretary of State for DHSC to the Chair relating to Written Parliamentary Questions, dated 28 April 2025
From: Procedure Committee
Inquiry: Written Parliamentary Questions: Departmental performance in Session 2024-26
Summary
Secretary of State Wes Streeting replies to the Procedure Committee's concerns about DHSC's performance answering Written Parliamentary Questions. The Department acknowledges falling below the 85% on-time target this session but attributes this to unprecedented PQ volumes—over 8,200 since July, substantially exceeding other departments and even Covid-19 pandemic levels. Despite staffing constraints, DHSC has answered more questions on time than the total received by any other department.
Key findings
- DHSC received over 8,200 Written Parliamentary Questions since July 2024, around 7,400 from the Commons—substantially more than any other department (second-placed MHCLG received c.4,900)
- In the past three months, DHSC's PQ volumes exceeded equivalent Covid-19 pandemic periods on a like-for-like basis
- Department acknowledged dip below 85% on-time target this session but claims to have answered more questions on time than were received in total by any other department
- DHSC operates with one fewer Commons Minister than previous administrations and fewer than departments receiving much lower PQ volumes
- Improvements implemented include new 'early intervention' system for Named Day PQs, monthly performance league tables by Directorate, refreshed PQ guidance, and capability training sessions on PQ best practice
Tone
ProceduralTopics
Key actors
Wes Streeting, Department of Health & Social Care, Procedure Committee, MHCLG
Notable line
“In the past three months, our Department's like-for-like PQ volumes were greater than during the equivalent months during the Covid-19 pandemic.”
Key Quotes
“Ensuring that Members receive timely responses to their queries is extremely important to me and to my ministerial team.”
“Since the election, DHSC has once again received the most PQs of any Department by a substantial margin.”
“We are returning significant numbers of responses to Members on-time; in the period identified by your letter, we answered more questions on time than were received in total by any other Department.”
“This is against the backdrop of having one fewer Commons Minister at the Department than previous administrations, and fewer ministers than at other departments that receive much lower volumes of PQs.”
Source · parliament.uk record ↗