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Scotland Office: Westminster Hall Sittings

Asked by Mr Andrew SnowdenConservativeScotland OfficeTabled Answered 8 September 2026UIN 22621

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, if he will provide 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 in his Department for each parliamentary session for which the information is available.

Answered by Scotland Office

It is not possible to provide an estimate for hours spent preparing Ministers to respond to Westminster Hall Debates. There will be differences in the 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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