Bob Russell, the Lib Dem MP? for Colchester has just written to the Prime Ministers Office as follows:
Dear Prime Minister,I regret that I was not called during Questions to you today, probably because I am told that Mr Speaker is aware that I have put more Questions to you over the past year than all but three other MPs.Therefore I am sending you the Question which I would have put to you had I been called. It reads as follows:?Yesterday, Tory-controlled Essex County Council decided not to save the jobs of 55 school crossing wardens.?However, in an echo of the Hanningfield years, they agreed to pay ?13,000 each to two deputies to Cabinet members.?What does the Prime Minister think is more important ? children?s safety, or giving higher allowances to Tory Councillors??I would be interested to hear what you think of Conservative priorities at Essex County Council.Best wishes.Yours sincerely,Sir Bob Russell,MP for Colchester
Er, what does he expect the Prime Minister to say, Yes I agree ECC are crap, what an idiot.
And here are the costs for questions in the house:
The Economic Secretary to the Treasury (Miss Chloe Smith): The Treasury has conducted its annual indexation exercise of the cost of oral and written parliamentary questions so as to ensure that these costs are increased in line with increases in underlying costs. The revised costs, which will apply from today, are:
Oral Questions £450
Written Questions £164
The disproportionate cost threshold (DCT) for written questions will increase to £850.
So what does he do with all these “answers”…..
Not sure of your point Oz. Are you suggesting questions should not be asked due to the cost? Or that questions should not be on local issues?
Those costings seem very arbitrary to me!
Chris,
Here are the costings.
http://www.parliament.uk/about/faqs/house-of-commons-faqs/business-faq-page/
Bruce,
Neither, what do these people do with the answers ? Do they benefit local people ? What difference do they make ? ie, look at this latest one re: The ECC, can you tell me the point of it ?
Thanks Oz see your point. I suppose the aim is to show that all Council’s can be more careful how money is spent. Even Conservative ones. May also be due to some comment Cameron may have made at some earlier time about use of money. Not sure about this but questions can be aimed at previous comments.