Report: only 15% of oral questions get government response in Parliament

The government isn’t keeping up with the questions posed by members of parliament, according to a new report by Tafra association. 

The report, “What do parliamentarians do?”, shows a sluggish response rate, with the government only answering around a third of all questions. 

While there’s been a slight improvement compared to previous sessions, the overall picture still paints a less-than-ideal scenario. A 34% response rate this session, up from 19% previously, still leaves a majority of questions unanswered.  

Oral questions fare even worse, with only 15% receiving a response. 

This low rate raises questions about accountability and communication between the government and the elected representatives.

The report shows that while MPs are posing a significant number of questions – nearly 3,000 in the current session alone –  a large chunk remain unanswered.  

Most of the questions are submitted in writing, rather than being asked orally.

The report also sheds light on which government departments are facing the most scrutiny.  Unsurprisingly, education, interior, and health are the ministries receiving the lion’s share of parliamentary questions. 

The report points out that the Ministry of Education receives the most questions and also has the fastest response time.  

On the other hand, the Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs, while having a decent response rate, takes much longer to provide answers. 

One interesting finding is that opposition MPs are much more vocal, posing almost twice as many questions as those in the ruling majority.  

However, the government’s response rate is fairly similar for both sides, suggesting that the issue isn’t necessarily about political affiliation.

The report also delves into the activity levels of individual MPs.  Female parliamentarians, despite being underrepresented, are actually more active in asking questions than their male colleagues.  

Geographically, MPs from the Rabat-Salé-Kénitra region are the most prolific question-askers, while new MPs also tend to be more inquisitive than their more experienced counterparts.