§ 26. Mr. Granville Sharpasked the Minister of Education what were the results of the recent analysis of the correspondence of his Department made with the aim of reducing delays; what action has been taken to implement the recommendations; whether benefits have already been achieved; and whether he proposes making greater use of Organisation and Methods in the work of his Department.
§ Mr. TomlinsonI am glad to be able to inform my hon. Friend that, while a year ago it took on average three weeks to answer correspondence from Members of Parliament, the average time is now seven days. During the same period, the percentage of official letters answered within six weeks or less has risen from 33 per cent. to 52 per cent. These necessarily take longer to deal with, and frequently require reference to inspectors outside the office. This improvement is largely due to recruitment of additional staff. I am anxious that the fullest possible use of Organisation and Methods should be made in my Department.
§ Mr. SharpWill my right hon. Friend consider making greater use of the Organisation and Methods Branch of the Treasury, which is more capable of carrying out this work than the one and a half men officially listed in his Department as dealing with organisation?
§ Mr. TomlinsonIt is for that reason that this particular branch is investigating three separate branches of my Department at the present time.