get_answering_bodies

Retrieve government departments and their parliamentary responsibilities. Understand government structure and identify which bodies answer questions on specific policy areas.

Instructions

Get government departments and their parliamentary responsibilities | government departments, ministries, answering bodies, policy areas, department structure, who answers questions | Use for understanding government structure, finding responsible departments, or determining who answers questions on specific topics | Returns department names, abbreviations, and policy responsibilities See also: get_departments, search_written_questions.

    Args:
        name_contains: Filter by partial name match. Example: 'Treasury', 'Health'.

    Returns:
        Department names, abbreviations, and policy responsibilities.

Input Schema

TableJSON Schema

Name	Required	Description	Default
`name_contains`	No

Output Schema

TableJSON Schema

Name	Required	Description	Default
`result`	Yes

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

First observedv0.1.0Oct 6, 2026

TDQS

A3.7/5.0

Behavior3/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

No annotations are provided, so the description carries the behavioral burden. It discloses return content (names, abbreviations, policy responsibilities) and filter behavior, but says nothing about pagination, permissions, or result size limits for a governance-lookup tool.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness3/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

Front-loaded with the core action, but the pipe-separated keyword block is keyword stuffing and the return contents are stated twice (in the body and again under 'Returns'). The Args/Returns scaffolding adds length without new information.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness4/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

For a single-optional-parameter lookup with an output schema present, the description covers purpose, usage context, filter semantics, and return content. Missing only operational details like pagination, which is a minor gap given the output schema exists.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters4/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

Schema description coverage is 0% and there is only one parameter, so the description must supply the semantics itself. It does: 'Filter by partial name match' plus concrete examples ('Treasury', 'Health') clarify match behavior and expected values beyond the bare schema type.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose4/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

States a specific verb and resource — 'Get government departments and their parliamentary responsibilities' — and clarifies the ambiguous term 'answering bodies' via keyword context. However, it does not differentiate itself from the closely-related sibling get_departments, which is named in 'See also' without saying how the two differ.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines4/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

Explicitly says 'Use for understanding government structure, finding responsible departments, or determining who answers questions on specific topics' and names two alternatives (get_departments, search_written_questions). No when-not guidance is given, and it never explains when to prefer it over get_departments.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.

Deploy Server

UK Parliament MCP Server