At ministerial questions on Monday, Duncan Smith added the new tonal layers of boredom and menace that he had displayed at a recent select committee meeting in which he had said: "I will let the committee know what is happening when I have decided what is happening".
Debates in the Commons are often more leisurely affairs than the cut and thrust of both departmental and prime ministerial questions, and the exchanges are invariably better informed – apart from those occasions when an MP is trying talk down a bill by running down the clock; then the digressions can be painfully dull.
"You will recognise that representatives on single member parties are often called during debates on bills, ministerial statements, question time, matters of the day and urgent oral questions.
On Sunday at a large rally in New Delhi, Narendra Modi, who is the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party's prime ministerial candidate, questioned Mr. Singh's ability to undertake the meeting effectively.
We know this not because of any ministerial statement, parliamentary question, or Freedom of Information (FoI) request, but because of a boastful, off-the-cuff remark to journalists by the prime minister during his last visit to Afghanistan.
12.26pm: Here's Blair on PMQs: PMQs was the most nerve-racking, discombobulating, nail-biting, bowel-moving, terror-inspiring, courage-draining experience in my prime ministerial life, without question.
A few MPs will be seeking a final hit of parliamentary publicity before their rendezvous with the voters - and I would be surprised if business managers on all sides didn't try to eke out some final opportunities for point-scoring before the curtain comes down on the Parliament of 2010, with urgent questions, ministerial statements and any other device they can come up with.
Lady Royall added: "This is now a plain and simple question of ministerial accountability.
Aly criticised Ciobo for responding to Mallah's question about ministerial discretion in terrorism-related issues.
