Written question asked by Alan Williams (Labour) on Monday, 19 July 1999, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 22 July 1999. It was answered by Patricia Hewitt (Labour) on Thursday, 22 July 1999 on behalf of the Treasury.

Treasury

Question: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what is the average time for a substantive reply to be sent to honourable Members' correspondence; what proportion takes more than (a) four weeks, (b) six weeks and (c) eight weeks; and what is his estimate of the number of letters received in a year from honourable Members. - Includes ref to 11 June 1999 at 332 c403-5W.

Answer: Mr. Alan Williams: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the average time for a substantive reply to be sent to hon. Members' correspondence; what proportion takes more than (a) four weeks, (b) six weeks and (c) eight weeks; and what is his estimate of the number of letters received in a year from hon. Members. [92457] Ms Hewitt: I refer my right hon. Friend to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office to the hon. Member for Lincoln (Gillian Merron) on 11 June 1999, Official Report, columns 403-06, which sets out the performance against departmental targets for answering correspondence from right hon. and hon. Members in the 1998 calendar year. More detailed information about the percentage of correspondence replied to within the time scales specified could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: 92457; 335 c634-5W;335 c636-7W
Session: 1998-99
Subjects: Administrative delays Correspondence Government departments Members Standards Treasury