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 Jack Straw (Labour) on Thursday, 22 July 1999 on behalf of the Home Office.

Home Office

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, 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 332 c403-5W and fact that more detailed information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Answer: Mr. Alan Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 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. [92454] Mr. Straw: I refer my right hon. Friend to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office to my hon. Friend the Member for Lincoln (Gillian Merron) on 11 June 1999, Official Report, columns 403-06, which sets out departmental performance against the targets set 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: 92454; 335 c624W;335 c626W
Session: 1998-99
Subjects: Administrative delays Correspondence Government departments Home Office Members Standards