HC Deb 21 February 2000 vol 344 c820W
Mr. Waterson

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the average time taken by the Data Protection Registrar to deal with complaints from the public. [110666]

Mr. Mike O'Brien

The Data Protection Registrar publishes information about complaints handling in her Annual Report to Parliament. Her 15th report, published in July 1999, records that in 1998–99 a total of 1,686 complaint files were closed. Of these, 38 per cent. were open for 0–3 months; 26 per cent. for 3–6 months; 19 per cent. for 6–12 months; and 17 per cent. for more than 12 months.