§ 47. Mr. V. Yatesasked the Prime Minister if he is aware that some Ministers are taking two and three months to 1592 reply to letters received from hon. Members; and if he will give instructions with a view to establishing a more efficient system of dealing with such correspondence.
Mr. ButlerI have been asked to reply. No, Sir. My right hon. Friend has as recently as last month reminded all his colleagues of the need to deal promptly with correspondence with hon. Members. If the hon. Gentleman will let him know of any instances of unreasonable delay, he will look into them.
§ Mr. YatesWhile thanking the right hon. Gentleman, may I ask him whether he is aware that on behalf of a constituent I have addressed three letters to a Minister; that he took four months to reply to the first, five months to the second, and three and a half months to the third? The result is that I have not been given a chance to raise the matter on the Adjournment. I protest and ask the Minister to have an investigation.
Mr. ButlerI can assure the hon. Member, not only on my own behalf as Leader of the House but also on behalf of the Prime Minister, that we ourselves strongly object to such delays in answering the correspondence of hon. Members. If the hon. Member will be good enough to let me have the examples which he has just cited, I will pass them on immediately to my right hon. Friend.
§ Captain WaterhouseDoes the right hon. Gentleman think the Prime Minister will use the cane on his right hon. Friends?