Correspondence (Hansard, 11 June 1999)

§ Gillian Merron

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will publish the latest figures showing the volume of correspondence received by Ministers and Agency Chief Executives from hon. Members, the targets set for reply, and the percentage of replies sent within targets. [87028]

Correspondence from Members of Parliament to Ministers and Agency Chief Executives
		1997		1998
Department or 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 with target
Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food	15	7,423	76	15	ⁱ8,058	57
Cabinet Office	15	341	96	15	292	96
Crown Prosecution Service	15	39	85	15	ⁱⁱ66	88
Department for Culture, Media and Sport	18	2,939	78	18	3,387	86
HM Customs and Excise	18	4,291	20	18	ⁱⁱⁱ4,439	16
Ministry of Defence	15	4,719	65	15	^iv5,619	53
Army Base Repair Organisation	–	–	–	15	11	100
Army Personnel Centre	15	19	64	15	43	96
Defence Evaluation and Research Agency	12	27	93	15	42	79
Naval Recruiting and Training Agency	–	–	–	15	29	100
Department for International Development	15	2,994	89	15	2,613	91
Department for Education and Employment	15	22,460	71	15	ⁱⁱⁱ19,766	70
Employment Service	15	1,837	93	15	630	92
Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions	15	31,798	58	15 ^v38,059	51
DVLA	7	299	96	7	453	99
Driving Standards Agency	15	194	78	15	108	85
Highways Agency	12	468	71	15	480	83
Marine and Coastguard Agency	15	25	100	15	^vi21	100
Planning Inspectorate	8	296	94	8	^vii286	87
Vehicle Inspectorate	15	24	96	15	20	100
Foreign and Commonwealth Office	7	8,735	95	7	^viii10,040	85
Department of Health	20	14,547	76	20	^ix10,648	61
NHS Pensions Agency	15	78	76	15	42	74
Medicines Control Agency	–	–	–	10	37	73
Home Office	15	16,831	20	15	17,875	32
	20	1,175	22	20	^xii875	52
HM Prison Service	15	2,702	61	^x20	2,400	69
UK Passport Agency	10	101	97	^xi10	181	96
Inland Revenue	18	3,323	40	18	^xiii6,305	20
	23	375	79	23	^xiv193	100
Valuation Office	23	74	31	23	47	36
Legal Secretariat to the Law Officers	15	301	88	15	^xv291	80
Lord Chancellor's Department	20	1,884	76	20	2,672	78
Court Service	20	1,391	99	20	^xvi1,230	99
HM Land Registry	20	37	100	20	36	100
Public Trust Office	15	65	98	15	63	98
Northern Ireland Office (including Northern Ireland Departments)	10	2,163	59	10	2,001	70
Child Support Agency	10	144	67	10	104	87
Compensation Agency	–	–	–	7	25	100
Northern Ireland Prison Service	10	48	92	10	35	66
Planning Service	15	78	77	10	62	74
Rate Collection Agency	5	12	92	5	10	90
Rivers Agency	15	13	85	15	32	97
Road Service	15	23	87	10	35	97
Social Security Agency	10	94	78	10	70	93
Water Service	15	37	92	10	48	85
Office for National Statistics	10	269	92	10	^xvii679	88
President of the Council's Office	15	102	91	15	230	88
The Scottish Office	17	4,722	65	17	5,650	60
Historic Scotland	17	23	91	17	36	100
Scottish Courts Service	17	11	82	17	17	97
Scottish Office Pensions Agency	17	38	97	17	45	100
Scottish Prison Service	17	145	97	17	119	95
Student Awards Agency for Scotland	17	240	70	17	112	50
Department of Social Security	20	17,585	51	20	19,330	31
Benefits Agency	20	3,314	89	20	2,797	56
Child Support Agency	20	8,182	99	20	8,365	100
Contributions Agency	20	338	89	20	280	37
War Pensions Agency	20	693	99	20	529	98

404W

§ Dr. Jack Cunningham

The 1998 correspondence figures are set out in the following table. The table also sets out the figures for 1997, first published on 31 July 1998,Official Report, columns 643–46. Members' attention is drawn to the footnotes which accompany the table and which provide general background information on how totals have been calculated.

405W

Correspondence from Members of Parliament to Ministers and Agency Chief Executives

Department of Trade and Industry	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
Department of Trade and Industry	10	19,459	61	10	ⁱⁱⁱ22,193	50
Companies House	10	41	100	10	38	100
Employment Tribunal Service	–	–	–	10	78	90
Insolvency Service	10	27	100	10	19	100
Radiocommunications Agency	10	27	96	10	15	100
HM Treasury	15	4,553	54	15	ⁱⁱⁱ7,086	37
Treasury Solicitor's Department	15	39	100	15	^xviii44	98
Welsh Office	15	2,998	75	15	3,913	71
CADW (Welsh Historic Monuments)	12	65	83	10	38	97	Notes on 1998 Figures¹⁹	ⁱIncludes correspondence for the Intervention Board.	ⁱⁱIncludes those letters addressed to the Law Officers but subsequently replied to by the Director of Public Prosecutions, excluding letters addressed to the DPP.	ⁱⁱⁱIncludes all Ministerial replies, not only replies to Members of Parliament.	^ivIncludes 940 letters where Agency Chief Executives replied on Ministers' behalf. Interim replies are not included in the overall performance.	^v67 per cent. of letters were replied to within 20 working days.	^viFigures from 1 April 1998-31 December 1998.	^viiIncludes 56 cases relating to Wales.	^viiiIn addition, the FCO's migration and visa department received 9,453 letters direct from MP's in 1998, of which 47 per cent. were replied to within 15 working days.	^ix1997 and 1998 figures are not directly comparable, as a new data system now provides figures relating to letters received from MPs only	^xPrison Service Director General cases which includes correspondence that Ministers passed on to be answered under delegated arrangements.	^xiUKPA Chief Executive cases.	^xiiIncludes letters for HM Prison Service where Ministers replied.	^xiiHead Office figures.	^xviLocal Office and "delegated" figures (where local officials reply direct to MPs).	^xvThis figure excludes letters which were subsequently replied to by the Director of Public Prosecutions.	^xviIncludes letters where correspondence has been received direct to the Chief Executive or transferred to the Chief Executive for reply.	^xviiIncludes 579 letters where the Chief Executive replied on Ministers' behalf.	^xviiiIncludes 13 letters where the Chief Executive replied on Ministers' behalf.	¹⁹The 1997 figures are taken from the Official Report, 31 July 1998, columns 643–46. Please also refer to the notes given with that reply. Departments and Agencies which received a total of between 1 and 10 letters from MPs during 1998 are not shown in this table.