§ Mr. Anthony Grantasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the average length of time taken by Ministers in his Department over the last year to reply to letters from hon. Members.
§ Mr. DeakinsStatistics of this kind are not readily available. I regret that the hon. Member has had to wait longer than usual for a reply to a recent letter, but I am taking steps to try to avoid a repetition of the delay. Every effort is made to reply to letters as quickly as possible and we are seeking at all times ways of improving performance. However, some delay is inevitable when reports have to be obtained, for instance from health authorities.