§ Mr. AllenTo ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what plans he has to to improve the quality of English used by departments in their communications with the general public. [93390]
§ Mr. AlexanderThe Cabinet Office has issued guidance for departments on the Handling of Ministerial and Other Correspondence which emphasises that appropriate arrangements should be in place to ensure that the quality of all replies is high. It has also issued guidance on Plain Written English.
In addition, the Centre for Management and Policy Studies (Civil Service College) located in my department offers a comprehensive suite of courses in writing. These aim to help civil servants to write clearly, concisely and correctly, and to tailor their writing to particular circumstances.