§ Lynne JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 9 May 2002,Official Report, column 329W, on the National Asylum Support Service, what the average time taken by NASS to respond to correspondence from (a) supported asylum seekers and (b) their representatives is. [56636]
§ Beverley HughesThe Operations Section of the National Asylum Support Service (NASS) is responsible for determining applications for support and answering correspondence about the support offered. All correspondence received within the Operations Section of NASS—currently in excess of 4,000 pieces per week—is subject to a target for completion. Targets are applied across the board—there is no distinction between correspondence received from an asylum seeker or a third party.
Targets for response depend on the nature of the correspondence. Correspondence which can be fast tracked will receive meaningful action within three working days. Correspondence raising complex issues will receive meaningful action within 10 working days. For example, an application for a single additional payment will be assessed within three working days of receipt and the applicant is notified of the outcome at this stage. Any payment approved will be included in the support applicant's regular payment within three weeks of the application being made.
All targets are monitored to ensure compliance and any backlog is addressed to avoid unnecessary delay.