§ Mr. DoverTo ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will publish the latest figures showing the volume of correspondence received by Ministers and agency chief executives from hon. Members, the targets
22W
Annex A Correspondence from Members of Parliament to Ministers and Agency Chief Executives 1993 1994 Department/Agency Target set for reply (working days) Number of letters received Percentage of replies within target Target set for reply (working days) Number of letters received Percentage of replies within target Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food 15 11,150 69 15 9,429 80 —Intervention Board — — — 10 109 96 Cabinet Office (OPSS) 15 911 59 15 941 71 —Recruitment and Assessment Services — — — 15 25 100 Central Statistical Office 10 63 77 110 70 67 Crown Prosecution Service 15 229 66 15 206 76 Customs and Excise 18 6,457 55 18 24,969 62 Ministry of Defence 15 6,374 75 15 7,769 69 —Defence Accounts Agency — — — 10 51 90 —Defence Research Agency 15 53 66 15 48 63 Department for Education 20 17,049 84 20 212,615 85 —Teachers' Pensions Agency 10 98 92 10 70 97 Office for Standards in Education3 — — — 10 96 90 Department of Employment 15 7,604 85 15 6,821 82 —Employment Service 15 313 92 15 1,156 85 Department of the Environment 15 21,057 54 15 17,767 57 —Planning Inspectorate Agency 8 555 80 8 4604 80 Foreign and Commonwealth Office 10 9,641 83 10 11,178 89 Department of Health 20 19,822 72 20 16,311 84 —NHS Pensions Agency 20 14 100 8 93 100 Her Majesty's Stationery Office 5 11 100 5 11 91 Home Office 15 15,950 25 515 14,830 20 25 11,381 52 525 12,845 51 —Her Majesty's Prison Service 25 348 54 15 1,569 673 —UK Passport Agency 15 40 83 15 172 95 Inland Revenue 18 4,202 45 18 2,75,063 50 23 805 39 23 2, 81,048 60 —Valuation Office 23 74 45 15 2, 923 78 Legal Secretariat to the Law Officers 15 675 77 15 10549 76 Lord Chancellors Department 20 6,716 84 20 5,166 83 —Her Majesty's Land Registry 20 40 100 20 31 90 —Public Trust Office11 — — — 15 36 75 Department of National Heritage 18 1,145 83 18 3,490 83 —Royal Parks Agency — — — 18 15 80 Northern Ireland Office 10 3,814 66 1210 23,468 65 —(inc Northern Ireland Depts) 15 2,057 73 1315 21,924 75 —Child Support Agency (NI) 10 27 96 10 48 88 —Compensation Agency (NI) 7 80 85 7 102 94 —Driver and Vehicle Testing Agency (NI) — — — 5 14 100 —Social Security Agency (NI) 10 28 82 10 28 93 —Valuation and Lands Agency (NI) — — — 10 14 100 Overseas Development Administration 15 4,218 87 15 3,962 93 The Scottish Office 17 6,860 52 17 5,562 49 —Scottish Prison Service — — — 17 68 76 —Historical Scotland — — — 17 13 92 Department of Social Security 20 23,518 76 20 23,193 64 —Benefits Agency 20 28,242 84 20 1421,411 93 —Child Support Agency 20 2,222 13 20 9,092 25 —Contributions Agency 20 264 70 20 299 67 —War Pensions15 — — — 20 522 99 Department of Trade and Industry 10 25,988 66 10 223,171 74 —Companies House 10 159 46 10 79 66 —Insolvency Service 10 30 97 10 33 88 —Radiocommunications Agency 10 43 100 10 38 100 Department of Transport 15 24,754 71 15 220,905 72 —Coastguard Agency — — — 15 1620 100 —Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency 10 345 95 10 357 95 —Driving Standards Agency 10 91 96 10 87 87 set for reply and the percentage of replies sent within target. [19750]
§ Mr. HoramThe 1994 correspondence figures are set out in the table. The table also sets out the corresponding figures for 1993, first published on 24 June 1994,Official Report, columns 334–38.
23W
Annex A Correspondence from Members of Parliament to Ministers and Agency Chief Executives 1993 1994 Department/Agency Target set for reply (working days) Number of letters received Percentage of replies within target Target set for reply (working days) Number of letters received Percentage of replies within target —Highway Agency — — — 15 16422 47 —Marine Safety Agency — — — 15 1721 100 —Transport Research Laboratory — — — 15 10 90 —Vehicle Inspectorate 15 15 93 15 17 100 Her Majesty's Treasury 15 11,396 58 15 24,728 54 Welsh Office 12 3,468 81 12 3,062 73 —CADW: Welsh Historic Monuments 12 31 91 12 47 93 Notes on 1994 figures18:
1 Represents target set for CSO to submit replies to Her Majesty's Treasury. In addition, the Chief Executive received 3 letters direct from Members of Parliament, of which 2 were replied to within the 10 working day target.
2 Includes all ministerial replies, not only those letters to Members of Parliament.
3 Replies sent by Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools.
4 Figure includes letters received direct from Members of Parliament as well as via ministers' offices. Figure also includes 43 cases which relate to Wales.
5 Targets within the Home Office are expressed in calendar days and because of bank holidays, performance will occasionally be measured against fewer than the 15 or 25 working day target. The 25 day target is for replies to Immigration and Nationality Department, Prison Service and UK Passport Agency subjects; the 15 day target is for all other subjects. Members of Parliament are encouraged to write direct to the Immigration and Nationality Department Board. These letters are included in the totals shown.
6 Due to the installation of a new computerised correspondence tracking system it is not possible to give a figure for replies within target for the whole period. The figure of 73 per cent. is based on 241 cases from 1 October 1994.
7 Head Office figures.
8 Local Office figures. Includes 664 "delegated cases", where local officials replied direct to MPs.
9 In addition the Valuation Office replied to 122 letters on behalf of Treasury Ministers, of which 56 per cent. were replied to within the 23 day target.
10 This figure excludes letters received by the Legal Secretariat to the Law Officers which were subsequently replied to by the Director of Public Prosecutions.
11 The Public Trust Office became an Executive Agency on 1 July 1994, and figures given are for all correspondence replied to by the Chief Executive between that date and the 31 December 1994.
12 Replies signed by the Minister.
13 Replies signed by Private Secretary to the Minister.
14 Includes correspondence from Members of Parliament sent direct to district offices.
15 War Pensions Agency was launched on 1 April 1994.
16 Figures provided for period 1 April 1994–31 December 1994.
17 Includes figures for Surveyor General's Organisation for 1 January 1994–31 March 1994.
18 The 1993 figures are taken from the Official Report, 24 June 1994, columns 334–338. Please also refer to notes given with that reply.
In addition the following Departments and Agencies received between 1 and 10 letters from Members of Parliament during 1994 but are not shown in the table.
—Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food: Central Science Laboratory, Veterinary Medicines Directorate and the Central Veterinary Laboratory.
—Cabinet Office: Central Office of Information.
—Ministry of Defence: Army Base Repair Organisation, Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment, Defence Animal Centre, Duke of Yorks Royal Military School, Meterological Office and the RAF Training Group.
—Department of the Environment: The Buying Agency and the Building Research Establishment Agency.
—Department of Health: Medicines Control Agency and NHS Estates.
—Export Credit Guarantee Department.
—Home Office: Forensic Science Service.
—Attorney General: Government Property Lawyers Agency.
—Lord Chancellor's Department: Public Record Office.
—Northern Ireland Office: Rate Collection Agency, Ordnance Survey of NI and Training and Employment Agency (NI).
—Scottish Office: Scottish Agricultural Science Agency.
—Serious Fraud Office.
—Department of Social Security: IT Services Agency and Resettlement Agency.
—Department of Trade and Industry: Accounts Services Agency, National Physical Laboratory, Patent Office and the Laboratory of the Government Chemist.
—Department of Transport: Vehicle Certification Agency.