The first major event of the day, usually taking place at
around 2.35 pm, is the opportunity for individual MPs to 
put questions to Government Ministers. Questions are 
part of the process by which the Government is held to 
account by Parliament, but Question Time is not a free 
for all: there are strict rules about the way in which 
questions are posed.

Questions must be 'tabled' in advance, and cover only those
areas for which Ministers are directly responsible. They may
not relate to matters which are subject to action in the courts. And Ministers are free to refuse to give answers if they believe that would mean divulging confidential information, or because it would be too expensive and 'not in the public interest' to do so.