UK Parliament MCP Server

search_oral_question_times

Find scheduled oral question times for UK Parliament ministers by date range. Use it to see when departments will answer questions or when topics will be discussed.

Instructions

Get scheduled oral question times for ministers in Parliament. Use when you want to know when specific departments will answer questions or when particular topics will be discussed. See also: search_oral_questions.

    Args:
        answering_date_start: Start date for question times in YYYY-MM-DD format.
        answering_date_end: End date for question times in YYYY-MM-DD format.

    Returns:
        Scheduled oral question times in the date range.

Input Schema

TableJSON Schema

Name	Required	Description	Default
`answering_date_end`	Yes
`answering_date_start`	Yes

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

B3.4/5.0

Behavior2/5

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

No annotations are provided, so the description carries the full burden of behavioral disclosure. It says nothing about pagination, result volume, auth requirements, or whether the lookup is read-only, and only minimally describes the return ('Scheduled oral question times in the date range'). For a tool with zero annotation coverage this is a significant gap.

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

Conciseness4/5

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

Purpose is front-loaded in the first sentence, with Args/Returns docstring sections that are easy to scan. The 'See also' pointer is brief; no filler sentences.

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

Completeness3/5

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

Output schema exists so return values need not be explained, and both required params are covered with format. The main gap is the lack of differentiation from the very similarly named sibling search_oral_questions, which an agent needs to route correctly.

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

Parameters3/5

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

Schema description coverage is 0%, so the description must compensate, and it does document both parameters plus the required YYYY-MM-DD format. It does not explain the semantics of the 'answering date' beyond the name (e.g. that it is the date the question is answered, not tabled), leaving some ambiguity.

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 scheduled oral question times for ministers') and scopes it to Parliament. However, it only says 'See also: search_oral_questions' without explaining how this tool differs from that close sibling, so an agent can't fully disambiguate the two from the description alone.

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?

Gives concrete use cases ('when you want to know when specific departments will answer questions or when particular topics will be discussed'), which is clear context for selection. It stops short of explicit when-not guidance or an articulated distinction from search_oral_questions.

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

Deploy Server