§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether he will give the average time taken by his Department to send formal acknowledgements of receipt and replies to letters sent to him generally and by Members of Parliament in particular; how these times compare with a stated period as long ago as may be conveniently 188W recorded; and what action he has taken or intends taking to expedite these replies to the taxpayers and their elected representatives.
§ Mr. LeverNormally, my office acknowledges letters on the day they are received. During the last three months the average time taken to send a full reply has been three weeks; this is comparable with similar periods in the last two years. I shall continue to ensure that correspondence in my office is dealt with as expeditiously as possible.