§ Mr. LidingtonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what is the average number of days it takes his Department to respond to a written request from 349W an hon. Member or a member of the general public for copies of his Department's explanatory booklets on the council tax; and if he will make a statement;
(2) what performance target he has set for his Department to respond to written requests from hon. Members and members of the general public for copies of his Department's explanatory booklets on the council tax.
§ Mr. Robin Squire[holding answer 7 May 1993]: The average number of days it takes my Department's contractor to respond to a written request from an hon. Member or a member of the general public is currently about 10 working days. This period allows for inward and outbound postal transit times.
The performance target for response, be it to an hon. Member or a member of the public, is that a request be fulfilled as quickly as reasonably possible, while seeking value for money.