{"links":{"self":"https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/764320.json"},"data":{"type":"petition","id":764320,"attributes":{"action":"Strengthen standards requiring direct answers to questions in Parliament","background":"Clarify and strengthen parliamentary standards so Ministers and Members must give clear, relevant and direct answers to questions asked in either House, except where a refusal is formally justified under established public-interest or statutory exemptions.","additional_details":"Avoiding a question through redirection, unrelated commentary, ad hominem or repeated refusal without clear justification can undermine scrutiny. We believe Parliament should clarify and strengthen its procedural standards so that:\r\n\r\nAnswers must address the substance of the question asked; refusals to answer must explicitly cite a recognised procedural, legal, or public-interest ground; and the Chair may require clarification where an answer clearly fails to address the question.","committee_note":null,"state":"rejected","signature_count":8,"created_at":"2026-03-14T12:58:58.961Z","updated_at":"2026-04-14T14:02:20.867Z","rejected_at":"2026-04-14T14:02:19.822Z","opened_at":null,"closed_at":null,"moderation_threshold_reached_at":"2026-03-15T18:48:40.000Z","response_threshold_reached_at":null,"government_response_at":null,"debate_threshold_reached_at":null,"scheduled_debate_date":null,"debate_outcome_at":null,"creator_name":null,"rejection":{"code":"duplicate","details":"We already have a petition open on this subject which you may wish to sign:\r\n\r\nhttps://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/762566"},"government_response":null,"debate":null,"departments":[],"topics":[]}}}