Question Hour

Definition

The first hour of a sitting of a House of Parliament, normally from 11 a.m. to noon, set aside for members to ask questions of ministers and hold the executive accountable.

Key points

• It is governed by the rules of procedure of each House and is a key tool of legislative oversight.
• Questions are of three kinds: starred (oral answer, supplementaries allowed), unstarred (written answer, no supplementaries), and short-notice (urgent, less than ten days' notice).
• The number of starred questions is generally limited so that they can be answered orally in the hour.
• Replies come from the concerned minister; the information must be accurate as the House can hold the minister to account.
• It precedes the informal concept zero hour.

Why it matters for CAPF

The three categories of questions and the timing of the Question Hour are standard parliamentary-procedure facts that pair with the concept starred vs unstarred questions distinction.

Common confusion

Question Hour (11 a.m. to noon, rule-based) is distinct from the informal Zero Hour that follows it; starred questions get oral answers and supplementaries, unstarred get only written replies.

Parent note

parliament