Questions to the Prime Minister

What happens at Prime Minister’s Questions?

• The Prime Minister answers questions in the Chamber every Wednesday at 12.00 noon

• Questions can be on anything for which the Government could conceivably be responsible, and no notice is given of questions

• Unlike question times to Ministers, there are no supplementary questions – this is because each Member’s substantive question is ‘the Engagements question’ (If he will list his official engagements for Wednesday 18 January)...

• ...to which the PM answers “This morning I had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others and, in addition to my duties in this House, I shall have further such meetings later today.”

• As well as questions from Members, the Leader of the Opposition gets six questions of his own, which can be on different subjects

Nature of PMQs

• The House is always full, and many Members are often keen to be ‘in their place’ for PMQs

• Both sides of the House want to feel as if they have come out on top

• PMQs is a naturally adversarial occasion• The view that the spectacle of Prime Minister’s Questions plays

against the reputation of both Members and Parliament is widespread

• This is not helped by the fact that PMQs is the single most-reported part of the parliamentary week

So why bother with it?

• PMQs is an important reminder of the principle that Government is accountable to Parliament, and through Parliament to the people

• Used as a weathervane for political sentiment in the country – Prime Ministers and Leaders of the Opposition have made and lost their reputations in PMQs

• Useful to have a regular opportunity to question the Prime Minister on topical events

• Not many Heads of Government submit themselves to weekly questioning by elected representatives

Things to watch for

• The selection of topics for questions by the Leader of the Opposition

• Members being called who aren’t on the Order Paper• Questions which aren’t really questions• The Prime Minister asking questions of the Leader of the

Opposition• Any questions where the Prime Minister appears not to have

been briefed (quite rare)• The Speaker calling the House to order

So, any questions?