Parliamentary Rules of Procedure - European Parliament - Europa

Standing Order 101 – Speaker’s discretion about
questions
The Speaker may:
(a) direct a Member to change the language of a
question asked during Question Time if the language
is inappropriate or does not otherwise
conform with the standing orders;
(b) allow supplementary questions to be asked to
clarify an answer to a question asked during Question
Time; and
(c) change the language of a question in writing if
the language is inappropriate or does not otherwise
conform with the standing orders.
Besides Question Time on the floor of the house,
many parliaments allow members to table written
questions which in turn receive written answers
by the executive. Rules of procedure generally lay
down a deadline for reply (if this is not already contained
in the country’s constitution), and some
internal guidelines such as the length of a question,
its interrogative nature (they must not be
statements) and such like.
Rule 105 of the Australian House of Representatives
states:
(a) A Minister’s written reply to a question must
be delivered to the Clerk. The Clerk shall provide
a copy of the reply to the Member who asked the
question, and the question and reply shall be published
in Hansard.
(b) If a reply has not been received 60 days after a
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question first appeared on the Notice Paper, the
Member who asked the question may, at the conclusion
of Question Time, ask the Speaker to write
to the Minister concerned, seeking reasons for the
delay in answering.
By contrast, the Japanese Diet allows only written
questions addressed to the government as a whole
and has no Question Time on the floor of the house.
its rules specify:
Article 74. When a Member of a House desires to put
a question to the Cabinet, he is required to obtain the
approval of the presiding officer of the House. The
question must be presented to the presiding officer
as a concise statement in written form. If a Member
raises an objection regarding a question of his to
which the presiding officer has not given approval,
the presiding officer must put the case to a vote of
the House without debate. When it is demanded by
a Member, the presiding officer shall record in the
minutes of the House a statement of the question
to which he or the House has not given approval.
Article 75. The presiding officer of a House shall
transmit to the Cabinet statements of questions
which he or the House has approved. The Cabinet
must answer a question within seven days from the
day of receipt of the concise statement. If an answer
cannot be made within the period, the Cabinet is
required to state clearly the reason, and the time by
which an answer can be given.