HC Deb 17 April 2000 vol 348 cc386-9W
Mr. Watts

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if she will publish the latest figures showing the volume of correspondence received by Ministers and agency chief executives from hon. Members in 1999, the targets set for the replies and the replies sent within target times. [119663]

Marjorie Mowlam

The 1999 correspondence figures are set out in the table. The table also sets out comparative figures for 1998, first published on 11 June 1999,Official Report, columns 403-05W. Members' attention is drawn

Correspondence from MPs to Ministers and Agency Chief Executives
1998 1999
Department or Agency Target set for reply (working days) Number of letters received Percentage of replies within target Target set for reply (working days) Number of letters received Percentage of replies within target
Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food 15 8,058 57 15 17,021 60
Cabinet Office 15 292 96 15 552 2685
Crown Prosecution Service 15 66 88 15 230 93
Department for Culture, Media and Sport 18 3,387 86 18 5,502 90
HM Customs and Excise 18 4,439 16 18 33,009 38
Ministry of Defence 15 5,619 53 15 45,488 66
Armed Forces Personnel Administration Agency — — — 15 17 59
Army Personnel Centre 15 43 96 15 42 84
Army Training and Recruiting Agency — — — 15 11 82
Defence Clothing and Textiles Agency — — — 15 15 100
DERA and Defence Diversification Agency 15 42 79 15 35 89
Meteorological Office — — — 15 12 83
RAF Personnel Management Agency — — — 15 13 100
Department for International Development 15 2,613 91 15 2,750 93
Department for Education and Employment 15 19,766 70 15 21,196 75
Employment Service 15 630 92 15 635 98
Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions 15 38,059 51 15 515,768 45
Driving Standards Agency 15 108 85 15 124 68
DVLA 7 453 99 7 855 98
Highways Agency 15 480 83 15 357 79
Marine and Coastguard Agency 15 21 100 15 22 91
Planning Inspectorate 8 286 87 8 6204 92
Vehicle Inspectorate 15 20 100 15 18 94
Foreign and Commonwealth Office 7 10,040 85 5 711,921 74
15 9,453 47 15 89,482 37
Department of Health 20 10,648 61 20 18,346 47
NHS Pensions Agency 15 42 74 15 51 84
Medicines Control Agency 10 37 73 10 70 68
Home Office 15 17,875 32 15 916,826 1145
20 875 52 20 10877 79
Fire Service College — — — 7 10 100
HM Prison Service 20 2,400 69 20 2,514 73
UK Passport Agency 10 181 96 10 703 35
Inland Revenue 18 6,305 20 18 3,125,872 49
23 193 100 23 13368 60
Valuation Office 23 47 36 23 24 81
Legal Secretariat to the Law Officers 15 291 80 15 14223 95
Lord Chancellor's Department 20 2,672 78 20 152,038 82
Court Service 20 1,230 99 20 16898 79
HM Land Registry 20 36 100 20 1653 91
Public Trust Office 15 63 98 15 1642 95
Northern Ireland Office and Northern Ireland Departments17 10 2,001 70 10 171,897 78
Child Support Agency 10 104 87 10 1887 49
Compensation Agency 7 25 100 7 23 100
Environment and Heritage Service — — — 10 14 100
Northern Ireland Prison Service 10 35 66 10 37 92
Planning Service 10 62 74 10 64 75
Rate Collection Agency 5 10 90 10 20 90
Rivers Agency 15 32 97 15 31 84
Road Service 10 35 97 10 26 69
Social Security Agency 10 70 93 10 116 97

to the footnotes which accompany the table and which provide general background information on how the figures are compiled.

Correspondence from MPs to Ministers and Agency Chief Executives
1998 1999
Department or Agency Target set for reply (working days) Number of letters received Percentage of replies within target Target set for reply (working days) Number of letters received Percentage of replies within target
Water Service 10 48 85 10 36 97
Office for National Statistics 10 679 88 10 19275 98
President of the Council's Office 15 230 88 15 151 81
The Scotland Office20 — — — 15 20105 72
Department of Social Security 20 19,330 31 20 16,555 66
Benefits Agency 20 2,797 56 20 2,033 70
Child Support Agency 20 8,365 100 18 5,661 98
War Pensions Agency 20 529 98 20 477 100
Department of Trade and Industry 10 22,193 50 10 320,889 50
Companies House 10 38 100 10 19 100
Insolvency Service 10 19 100 10 22 86
Patent Office — — — 10 21308 88
Radio Communications Agency 10 15 100 15 2239 97
HM Treasury 15 7,086 37 15 35,322 44
Treasury Solicitor's Department 15 44 98 2310 2440 100
Wales Office25 — — — 15 2561 64
Notes on 1999 figures27
1 Includes correspondence on the Intervention Board.
2 Letters addressed to the Law Officers but subsequently replied to by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP). In addition, the DPP received 228 letters direct from MPs in 1999 of which 94 per cent. were replied to within 15 working days.
3 Includes all Ministerial replies, not only replied to letters from MPs.
4 Includes letters from Peers and MEPs. Also includes 387 letters where Agency Chief Executives replied on Ministers' behalf.
5 This figure includes only correspondence received between 1 April 1999 and 31 December 1999. 1998 and 1999 figures are not directly comparable, as a new data system now provides figures relating to letters received from MPs only.
6 Includes 49 cases relating to Wales.
7 General correspondence (excluding correspondence on migration and visa matters).
8 Correspondence on migration and visa matters only.
9 15 working days is the target for all correspondence other than correspondence on Prison Service issues.
10 20 working days is the target for correspondence on Prison Service issues and takes account of particular geographical circumstances. The target is the same whether replies are sent by Ministers or the Director General.
11 The Home Office's overall performance was badly affected by the Immigration and Nationality Directorate's operational difficulties. Encouragingly, the rest of the Home Office achieved 72 per cent. of replies within target.
12 Head Office figures.
13 Local Office and "delegated" figures (where local officials have replied direct to MPs).
14 This figure excludes letters which were subsequently replied to by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
15 Excludes letters from MPs to Ministers where Agency Chief Executives have replied on Ministers' behalf.
16 Includes letters from MPs to Ministers where the Agency Chief Executive has replied on Ministers' behalf.
17 Figures for Northern Ireland Departments relate to the period 1 January 1999 to 2 December 1999, the date of devolution.
18 In addition, the Child Support Agency received 308 letters on GB cases direct from MPs in 1999 of which 49 per cent. were replied to within the 20 working day target.
19 Includes 214 letters where the Chief Executive replied on Ministers' behalf.
20 The Scotland Office came into existence on 1 July 1999. Figures relate to the period 1 July 1999–31 December 1999. Figures do not include interim replies.
21 Includes 301 letters where the Chief Executive replied on Ministers' behalf.
22 Includes 16 letters where the Chief Executive replied on Ministers' behalf.
23 The Treasury Solicitor's Department reduced its target in May 1999 from 15 working days to 10 working days.
24 Includes 20 letters where the Chief Executive replied on Ministers' behalf.
25 The Wales Office came into existence on 1 July 1999. Figures relate only to the period 1 October 1999–31 December 1999.
26 The Cabinet Office performance was badly affected by the need for wide consultation on correspondence concerning "external" issues. On issues relating to Cabinet Office domestic issues, the Cabinet Office replied to 97 per cent. of letters within target.
27 The 1998 figures are taken from the 11 June 1999, Official Report, columns 403-05W. Please also refer to the notes given with that reply. Departments and Agencies which received a total of between one and ten letters from MPs during 1999 are not shown in this table.