Points of Order

Andrew Snowden Excerpts

Wednesday 17th December 2025 Commons Chamber

[Madam Deputy Speaker (Judith Cummins)]

I thank the hon. Member for giving notice of her point of order. I understand that this matter was raised with Justice Ministers yesterday. The hon. Member may also wish to raise this issue during tomorrow’s debate on matters to be raised before the forthcoming Adjournment. In the meantime, if she requires further assistance in raising it with Justice Ministers directly, she may wish to seek further advice from the Clerks.

[Mr Andrew Snowden (Fylde) (Con)]

On a point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker. In a written answer on 9 December 2025 to a parliamentary question that I had submitted, the Treasury stated explicitly that it had not opened any new inquiries into child benefit eligibility in the context of the serious errors in a trial of data sharing between the Home Office and the Treasury. However, I have recently seen correspondence between the press team at His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs and journalists that directly contradicts the answer given through the Table Office, with HMRC’s press office stating that the programme was not paused and that therefore new inquiries were continuing. As both things cannot be true at the same time, can you give me advice and guidance, Madam Deputy Speaker, on how the official record can be urgently set straight?

[Madam Deputy Speaker]

I thank the hon. Member for giving notice of his point of order. While I am not responsible for the accuracy of responses that Ministers give to written parliamentary questions, I am clear that it is of the utmost importance that Ministers are properly held to account by Members, and that they take their responsibilities to the House seriously. Those on the Treasury Bench will have heard the hon. Member’s concerns, and I hope they will pass them on to the relevant Minister. The hon. Member may also wish to raise the matter with the Procedure Committee, which is currently undertaking an inquiry into written parliamentary questions.