§ Mr. McMasterTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the average time his Department takes in replying to letters from right hon. and hon. Members; and what is(a) the shortest time and (b) the longest time it has taken to reply in full in the last Session of Parliament.
8W
§ Mr. Lang[holding answer 1 July 1994]: Information is not held currently in precisely the form requested. My Department has a target of issuing replies to correspondence from hon. Members and others within 17 working days of receipt. Statistics of performance are held by calendar year and in 1993, 52 per cent. of replies to hon. Members were within that 17 working day target. The time taken to answer individual items of correspondence in 1993 ranged from fewer than five working days to over 30 working days of receipt of the correspondence. Some 85 per cent. of correspondence warranting a ministerial reply in 1993—10,320 items out of a total of 12,089—received a full reply within 30 working days.