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Paul Hadlow, a Managing Editor, is responsible for Hansard's written answers unit. Every day Hansard's administration section matches written questions with the answers given by the relevant Government Departments. The Managing Editors give the questions headings – sometimes grouping questions that are on similar subjects – for information and indexing purposes.
The questions and answers are then scanned electronically and sent to the written answers unit, where a team of operators format the information, often having to reconfigure lengthy and complicated tables and lists.
The unit processes in excess of 40,000 written questions and answers a year. They have become an invaluable reference source for Members, the media and the public. Members often table questions to dig out information about specific issues, particularly before local or national elections, while the Government of the day use them to make written statements about, for example, benefit upratings and European Union Council statements.
Once the questions and answers are printed – the bulk appears the following day at the back of daily part – they are proofread and any necessary amendments are made for the bound volume.
