§ Sir C. Taylorasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will state the average amount of time which elapses between receipt of a letter by his Department and the despatch of the full reply.
§ Mr. CallaghanIt is not possible without costly research to give an exact figure relating to all items of correspondence—now arriving in headquarters offices alone at a rate approaching 1 million letters a year. Every endeavour is made to answer letters quickly; and the staff are well aware of the importance I attach to this. But some letters cannot be answered until enquiries have been made, sometimes of outside bodies such as local authorities, and the police, and their replies received.