Once again, I refer to the book by Marleau and Montpetit, not only to promote sales but also because I believe it contains some very relevant passages with respect to the matter raised by the Bloc Quebecois leader and the whip.
I believe that the point made by the government House leader is correct. Let me quote from page 432 of the book:
Questions, although customarily addressed to specific Ministers, are directed to the Ministry as a whole. It is the prerogative of the government to designate which Minister responds to which question. The Prime Minister (or the Deputy Prime Minister or any other minister acting on behalf of the Prime Minister) may respond to any or all questions posed during Question Period. Only one Minister may respond to a question, and it need not be the one to whom the question is addressed who actually answers it.
The standing orders are very clear on this point. The Chair recognized the minister who rose to respond to the questions. That is entirely consistent with the standing orders in our new book.