§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Broxbourne (Mrs. Roe) of 9 February,Official Report, columns 601–2, if he will instruct the chief executives of agencies within his responsibility to discontinue the practice of delaying letters to hon. Members in response to parliamentary questions until the day after copies have been sent to Ministers.
§ Miss WiddecombeChief executives of the Department's next steps agencies are expected to abide by the guidance to all Departments when the present publication arrangements were introduced in October 1992; that hon. Members should receive a letter in reply within twenty four hours of him or her receiving the responsible Minister's own reply. I understand that so far they have done so in almost every case.