§ Pete WishartTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (1) if he will place in the Library for each year since 1995 the total number of(a) letters from hon. Members, (b) letters from members of the public and (c) parliamentary questions from (i) hon. Members and (ii) Lords dealt with by his Department; what percentage took (A) more than one month and (B) more than three months to provide a substantive answer; and if he will make a statement; [7041]
(2) if he will place in the Library for each year since 1995 the average response time for providing a substantive answer to (a) hon. Members' correspondence, (b) correspondence from members of the public and (c) written parliamentary questions in the (i) Commons and (ii) Lords. [7040]
§ Dr. WhiteheadThe effective handling of correspondence and parliamentary questions is an issue to which I, and ministerial colleagues, attach great importance.
General information on the volumes of correspondence received across Whitehall and on overall performance is published by the Cabinet Office. Figures for 2000 were published on 6 April 2001, Official Report, columns 324–28W, and on 19 July 2001, Official Report, columns 454–56W.
The information requested in respect of parliamentary questions prior to the formation of this Department on 8 June 2001 is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. En the period 8 June to 20 July 2001, my Department answered 616 parliamentary questions from hon. Members and 60 from noble Lords. All of those questions were answered within one month.