§ Mr. Ian BruceTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how long on average it takes his Department to answer letters from hon. Members; what target date his Department sets; what percentage receive replies within the target date; and what assessment he has made of how long it takes to deliver a letter after it has been typed. [27039]
§ Mr. Fatchett[holding answer 2 February 1998]: In the last quarter of 1997 Foreign and Commonwealth Office Ministers replied to 2,215 letters from hon. Members, of which 95 per cent were replied within the target of 10 working days.
Every effort is made to have letters copied, dispatched and delivered within 24 hours of signature.