VALE of York MP Anne McIntosh is the scourge of Ministers in Parliament.

The Tory was involved in face-to-face exchanges with them on more occasions last year than almost any other MP - asking 34 oral questions.

Only Tory leader William Hague and outspoken Buckingham MP John Bercow asked more - with Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy asking one fewer than Ms McIntosh.

Official Parliamentary records have revealed she also tabled 170 written questions to Ministers.

This was the ninth highest total in the Commons and provided a host of Government departments with a headache as the questions must be answered

within a set time limit.

Many of the questions concerned the Government's handling of the foot and

mouth crisis.

The North Yorkshire MP who had most success in quizzing the Prime Minister during his weekly 30-minute question slot was John Grogan.

The Selby Labour MP was drawn out of the ballot or successful in catching

the eye of Speaker Michael Martin on two separate occasions.

Only ten MPs managed to ask more than two questions during the 2000-2001

session, according to the records. Mr Grogan also asked 18 written questions and asked Ministers eight oral questions.

Whitby and Scarborough MP Lawrie Quinn asked 12 oral questions of Ministers, and ten written questions.

Liberal Democrat Education Spokesman Phil Willis, meanwhile, asked one

question of Tony Blair, tabled 36 written questions and quizzed ministers on five occasions.

His frontbench job ensured regular exchanges with his Government counterpart, David Blunkett.

The same was true of Ryedale Tory MP John Greenway, whose frontbench role as Sport and Tourism Spokesman involved regular clashes with Labour's Department of Media, Culture and Sport team.

York MP Hugh Bayley, who was junior social security minister in the final year of the last Parliament, had a different role - answering the questions of other MPs.

Updated: 11:38 Saturday, September 08, 2001