§ Mr. Laurence RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the average time taken by his Department to give full answers to letters received from hon. Members. [13952]
§ Mr. StrawThe average time taken to reply to letters from hon. Members is 25 working days. The target response times in my Department are 15 days for the Home Office, 25 for the immigration and nationality directorate, the United Kingdom Passport Agency and Her Majesty's Prison Service. Departmental performance is shown in the annual statistics that were published on 17 June 1997 in response to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Ellesmere Port and Neston (Mr. Miller) on 17 June 1997,Official Report, columns 107–12. Some targets were shortened earlier this year. These will be reflected in the 1997 annual statistics that will be published in due course.