Mr Speaker, thanks to the hon Deputy President for that reply. I am very well aware of the fact that you did have that interchange with my deputy, but I address you in that capacity of the Leader of Government Business. We don't want to treat Ministers like schoolchildren and get them to stand up and tell us why. I think they have a responsibility to actually answer these questions.
Indeed, in terms of the oversight and accountability model, there's a duty to answer those questions, as indeed there is a duty on ourselves to ask those questions, exercise oversight and bring Ministers to account. It's in that context that I hope the Deputy President is aware that as of 2 November there are 510 questions outstanding, and that's a record as far as we are concerned - 510 questions! Now, you can wish them away, you can use all sorts of sophistry, but the fact is that there are 510 questions outstanding.
I'm very happy to hand over to the Deputy President a record of those questions, which I hope as Leader of Government Business he would follow up and make sure they are responded to, otherwise we may have to treat Cabinet Ministers like schoolchildren. Thank you. [Applause.]