§ Ms HodgeTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what performance indicators and performance targets there are for measuring the performance of his Department in(a) answering letters from members of the public and (b) answering telephone calls from members of the public; how performance is monitored; and what are the latest figures for performance measured against the target set. [26234]
§ Mr. HowardIndividual units and agencies are required to set clear targets for the time taken to deal with correspondence from the public and to monitor performance against those standards. The targets set range from five to 30 working days. Some parts of the Department use computerised tracking systems to monitor performance, and others take samples periodically. No records are however kept centrally of performance against targets.
There is no similar system of targets for answering telephone calls in most parts of the Department, but standards relating to courtesy and helpfulness have been laid down.