§ Ms HodgeTo ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what performance indicators there are for measuring the performance of central Government Departments in answering letters from members of the public; what is each Government Department's target for answering letters; how performance is monitored by each Government Department; and what is the performance against the target set by each Government Department. [23717]
§ Mr. HoramGovernment Departments are responsible for ensuring that their handling of letters from members of the public is effective, and for setting their own targets. Departments and agencies are encouraged to publish such targets in their charter statements as appropriate.
§ Ms HodgeTo ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what performance indicators there are for measuring the performance of central Government Departments in answering telephone calls from members of the public; what is each Government Department's target for answering calls; how performance is monitored by each Government Department; and what has been the performance against the target set by each Government Department. [23716]
§ Mr. HoramIt is for individual Departments to decide whether performance standards for answering telephone calls from members of the public should be set, and at what level. Standards may cover all or part of the Department. The monitoring of calls to see whether standards are met, and any resulting management action, is the responsibility of individual Departments. Information on the performance of Government Departments in answering telephone calls is not held centrally and could not be collected without incurring disproportionate cost.
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