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Cabinet Office: Westminster Hall Sittings

Asked by Mr Andrew SnowdenConservativeCabinet OfficeTabled Answered 8 September 2026UIN 22594

The question

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if she will make an estimate of the number of hours spent (a) responding to and (b) preparing for Westminster Hall Debates by (i) government ministers, (ii) civil servants and (iii) special advisers for each parliamentary session for which information is available.

Answered by Cabinet Office

It is not possible to provide an exact cost for preparing Ministers to respond to Westminster Hall Debates. There will be differences in the costs of Civil Service, Special Adviser and Ministerial time depending on the policy matter and length of the debate. Debates can also be cross-cutting and require resources from multiple departments or engage departmental bodies.

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