Speaker’s Rulings — Questions for Oral Answer—Quotations

I undertook last week to reflect on answers made by Ministers quoting reports that they have seen—sometimes reports of remarks made by Opposition members.

Questions often contain quotations and ask a Minister to respond to the quotation. This is a long-established practice; indeed Speaker’s ruling 147/4 records a Speaker as long ago as 1970 bemoaning the fact that quotations are permitted in questions. As long as the quotation relates to public affairs with which the Minister is connected or to a matter of administration for which the Minister is responsible, it can be put to the Minister and it does not matter whose quotation it is. If quotations can be included in questions, then they can be included in answers, for the rules as to content are virtually identical—compare Standing Order 371(1) and Standing Order 377(2).

There is thus nothing wrong, in principle, with a Minister in a reply quoting an Opposition member as long as the quotation relates to public affairs with which the Minister is connected, or to a matter of administration for which the Minister is responsible. Thus, a Minister may be asked a question about what reports the Minister has received relating to the Minister’s area of responsibility. In replying, the Minister may quote another person’s statement if it does relate to that area of responsibility. But the Minister may not comment on Opposition policy, as the Minister has no responsibility for it—see Speaker’s ruling 139/6.

On the other hand, a Minister may be asked a question that quotes a statement relating to the Minister’s area of responsibility—even an Opposition statement—and seeks the Minister’s opinion of it. In this case the right to seek a Minister’s opinion on public affairs with which the Minister is connected allows the Minister, when asked to do so, to comment on a statement relating to such matters regardless of the origin of the statement.

This ruling will, of course, be available for members to be able to look at. I hope it does provide some guidance on these matters when questions are asked and answered.