Official responses
How governments answer written parliamentary questions
Short answer
- UK Commons ordinary question
- Convention of an answer within seven days 1
- UK named day question
- At least two days' notice, five per MP per day 1
- UK House of Lords
- Answer expected within 14 days, six questions a day 1
- Canada House of Commons
- 45 days on request, Standing Order 39(5) 2
- Australian Senate
- 30 days, Standing Order 74(5) 3
- British Columbia
- No fixed deadline, question stays until answered or session ends 5
Why written answers matter
A written answer is a minister's published reply to a named legislator. In the UK, written questions and answers can be searched online from the 2014-15 session. Questions appear the day after tabling and answers are usually published within 90 minutes of being given 1. In the Australian Senate, answers are lodged with the Table Office, which gives the senator a copy and publishes it online 4.
United Kingdom
The Commons has three main types of written question: ordinary, named day, and oral questions not reached at question time 1. An ordinary question is dated two days after tabling. The convention is that the MP can expect an answer within seven days, but there is no parliamentary rule fixing a date 1.
For a named day question the MP names the date of answer, with at least two days' notice, and may table no more than five a day 1. Oral questions not reached in the chamber go to the department as named day questions 1. In the House of Lords, members may table up to six questions a day and can expect an answer within 14 days 1.
Canada
Standing Order 39 lets members place questions on the Order Paper seeking information from ministers 2. No member may have more than four questions on the Order Paper at once. A member may mark up to three with an asterisk to ask for an oral answer 2.
Under Standing Order 39(5)(a) a member may ask for an answer within 45 days 2. If the question is unanswered after 45 days, the failure is deemed referred to the relevant standing committee, whose chair must convene a meeting within five sitting days. The member may instead transfer the question to the adjournment proceedings 2. Answers that take the form of a return are tabled in electronic format 2.
Australia
Senators can lodge questions on notice at any time, even when the Senate is not sitting 4. Under Standing Order 74(5), if a minister does not answer within 30 days, the senator may ask for an explanation after question time, then move that the Senate take note of it. If no explanation is given, the senator may move a motion about the failure 3.
The Senate counts the 30 days from the day the question is published. Unanswered questions older than 30 days are listed online and in the Notice Paper 4. The same process covers questions taken on notice at estimates hearings after the date the committee set 3. At an election, prorogation ends all business. Senators must resubmit unanswered questions, and the 30-day count restarts on the first sitting day 4.
Comparing the rules
In British Columbia a written question stays on the Orders of the Day until a minister answers or the session ends. An unanswered question can be resubmitted at the start of the next session 5.
| Chamber | Deadline | If missed |
|---|---|---|
| UK House of Commons (ordinary) | Seven days by convention 1 | No rule fixes a date 1 |
| UK House of Commons (named day) | Date set by the MP 1 | Not stated on the page |
| UK House of Lords | Expected within 14 days 1 | Not stated on the page |
| Canada House of Commons | 45 days on request 2 | Deemed referred to committee 2 |
| Australian Senate | 30 days 3 | Minister can be asked to explain 3 |
| British Columbia | None 5 | Resubmit in the new session 5 |
Common questions
How long does a UK minister have to answer a written question?
There is no fixed rule. The convention for ordinary Commons questions is seven days, and Lords can expect 14 days 1.
What is a named day question?
A Commons question for which the MP sets the answer date, with at least two days' notice 1.
What happens in Canada if the government misses 45 days?
The failure is deemed referred to a standing committee, which must meet within five sitting days 2.
Rules and charges change. Check the official source linked on this page before you pay or travel. Spotted an error? Email hello@responseofrecord.com.
Sources
- UK Parliament: Written questions and answers
- House of Commons of Canada: Chapter 5, Standing Orders (consolidated version as of 27 April 2026)
- Parliament of Australia: Senate Standing Orders, Chapter 11, Questions seeking information
- Parliament of Australia: Guides to Senate Procedure No. 6, Questions (last reviewed June 2025)
- Legislative Assembly of British Columbia: Written Questions on Notice
Related
- How governments respond to parliamentary committee reports
Deadlines and forms for government replies to committee reports in the UK, Canada, Australia, India, the EU and the US, from standing orders and laws.
- When governments must respond to petitions
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- How formal replies are published
Rules on where and how a reply must appear: same prominence, same typeface, no comment, archive links, Command Papers and tabled responses.
- What 'declined to comment' means
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