81,838
written questions tabled
On the recordThe Straight Answer Index
What they said · what was true
Each case starts from something now openly known, then traces it back through a minister’s own answers to Parliament — measuring how long the question went unanswered, how hard it was pressed, and what the silence cost. We weigh each one against the case for the silence before we publish.
Who answers Parliament — and who keeps it waiting
The case files above are the stories. This is the standing scoreboard behind them: every written question tabled in the last twelve months, by department — how many, how fast, and how many are still waiting. No judgement calls; every figure is a count or a date difference from the parliamentary record.
8
median days to answer
3,603
still unanswered
365
unanswered for 30+ days
By department — the league table.
Ordered by questions left unanswered for 30 days or more. Deadlines are two sitting days for named-day questions and a week otherwise — a month of silence is a choice. Departments with fewer than 30 questions in the window are omitted.
| Department | Asked | Answered | Median days | Waiting 30d+ | Oldest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cabinet Office | 3,874 | 91.8% | 10 | 128 | 84d |
| Department of Health and Social Care | 12,377 | 95.3% | 10 | 91 | 199d |
| Department for Transport | 6,554 | 95.2% | 8 | 20 | 67d |
| Home Office | 6,440 | 95.6% | 8 | 17 | 102d |
| Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs | 5,478 | 96.4% | 7 | 16 | 73d |
| Department for Education | 5,274 | 95.3% | 10 | 14 | 70d |
| Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government | 6,506 | 95.9% | 8 | 12 | 66d |
| Department for Work and Pensions | 3,829 | 96.4% | 8 | 11 | 74d |
| Ministry of Justice | 2,972 | 95.1% | 8 | 10 | 66d |
| Department for Culture, Media and Sport | 2,034 | 95.4% | 8 | 7 | 66d |
| Women and Equalities | 314 | 87.9% | 10 | 7 | 66d |
| Department for Business and Trade | 3,471 | 95.4% | 7 | 6 | 84d |
| Department for Energy Security and Net Zero | 2,841 | 96% | 8 | 6 | 84d |
| Ministry of Defence | 6,381 | 94.5% | 8 | 5 | 71d |
Fuller answering-side statistics, including volumes and who asks: written questions overview →
The longest waits — still unanswered.
The individual questions that have waited longest for any answer at all. Each links to the question as tabled.
199d“What steps are being taken to ensure that data on paediatric traumatic brain injury diagnoses is collected consistently across the NHS to support the development …”102d“What assessment she has made of the effectiveness of her Department’s Worker priority change of circumstance service in supporting health services, such as the Ledbu…”99d“What funding has been specifically allocated to the rollout of fracture liaison services beyond the investment in DEXA scanners announced in May 2025; and what as…”84d“When he plans to respond to Question 118754 from the Rt hon. Member for Braintree.”84d“When he plans to respond to Question 119976 from the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar.”84d“When he plans to respond to Question 113777 from the hon. Member for Thirsk and Malton.”84d“When he plans to respond to Question 119985 from the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar.”84d“When he plans to respond to Question 113778 from the hon. Member for Thirsk and Malton.”
Answered — eventually.
The slowest answers finally given in the window.
172d“Whether he has made an assessment of the adequacy of redundancy plans for civil servants working at grades (a) AA/AO, (b) EO, (c) HEO/SEO, (d) G6/G7 and (e) SCS in each Governm…”157d“What steps he is taking to promote (a) culturally competent and (b) community-led prevention measures for older black men.”148d“What assessment her Department has made of the potential implications for the quality of education of the use of digital tablets for learning in (a) primary and (b) secondary …”144d“With reference to the OBR’s Economic and fiscal outlook November 2025, page 122, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the absorption of SEND provision into …”142d“What steps his Department is taking to prepare for potential flu outbreaks in winter 2025-26.”
Window: 3 Jul 2025 → 3 Jul 2026. Written questions only. “Answered” means any substantive or holding reply recorded against the question; we do not yet distinguish holding replies — that is the next layer of this index.