HC Deb 26 July 1988 vol 138 cc162-3W
Mr. Tom Clarke

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the average length of time taken by his Department to respond to correspondence from right hon. and hon. Members during the summer recess.

Mr. Peter Bottomley

A recent review of ministerial correspondence in the Department of Transport (September 1987) showed that 86 per cent. of such letters are replied to with an average response time of 15 working days. Ministerial colleagues and I aim to deal with all inquiries in three weeks. Some complex questions do inevitably take longer.

It takes the same length of time for the Department of Transport to respond to right hon. and hon. Members' correspondence during the summer recess as in Session time.