Ministerial questions and accountability

Question 1

What are ministerial Questions

Answer 1

Secretaries of state and ministers from government departments are required to answer questions from the opposition MPs in the shadow cabinet and from backbenchers on issues relating to their departments

Question 2

What is Prime Ministers questions time

Answer 2

PMQ is held every week on Wednesdays, during this the PM is asked questions by the leader of the opposition Kier Starmer and backbench MPs

Question 3

What are Urgent questions

Answer 3

These are questions that are asked by an MP and deemed by the speaker to be of pressing public interest and which need to be discussed immediately.

Question 4

What are Written questions

Answer 4

MPs and peers can ask government ministers written questions. These are used to gather more detailed responses and clarify statistical information.

Question 5

What are the effectiveness of PMQ 4

Answer 5

• Its a well-regulated, formal system with recognised rules and proceedings, meaning it can run efficiently and effectively as many questions can be asked.
• As the PM doesnt know the questions beforehand it means the sessions have a spontaneous element allowing potentially greater accountabilities
• The question time is well recognised by people who follow politics allows it to be a high profile to raise issues and find the governments accountable.
• It puts Pm on the spot as they cant rely on their party Whips but even though theyre briefed, Tony blair called the PMQ time as a “terrifying ordeal”

Question 6

What are the ineffectiveness of PMQ

Answer 6

• The leader of the opposition is limited to 6 questions per 30 minute sessions.
• they are more theatrical than political as the sessions can turn into 30 minutes of politicians insulting each other

Question 7

Example of ineffectiveness of PMQ

Answer 7

Jeremy Corbyn asked Theresa May about whether she was to blame for the destruction of the ‘Windrush’ generation’s landing cards during one PMQs session, in which May refused to answer that question and decided to just use her answers to blame the last Labour Government. This shows that this way of scrutinising as it isnt detailed.