HC Deb 09 November 2001 vol 374 cc444-5W
Mr. McLoughlin

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she will reply to the letters of the hon. Member for West Derbyshire dated 18 July and 20 September, concerning the Home Energy Efficiency Scheme. [7971]

Mr. Morley

My right hon. Friend the Minister of State for the Environment replied to the hon. Member's letter on 18 October 2001.

Mr. Laws

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proportion of correspondence received by her Department from hon. Members did not receive a substantive response within(a) one month, (b) two months, (c) three months, (d) four months, (e) five months and (f) six months in each year since 1997; and if she will make a statement. [9953]

Mr. Morley

[holding answer 25 October 2001]: The specific information sought by the hon. Member in relation to DEFRA could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

However, since the creation of DEFRA in June 2001 to the end of October the average length of time taken for the Department to provide replies to letters from hon. Members was 29 working days. Although this is longer than the departmental target of 15 working days we are working hard to ensure that this record is improved and the target met. The Department has suffered severe disruption due to allocating top priority to defeating the foot and mouth epidemic. I accept this is not an excuse for not giving hon. Members good service, and now that normality is returning to the Department one of our urgent priorities is to rectify any weakness in our service delivery.

Mr. Paterson

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she will reply to the letter of 6 August from the hon. Member for North Shropshire concerning the extension to the burning of cattle at Sleap, Shropshire. [12630]

Mr. Morley

[holding answer 6 November 2001]: I replied to the letter from the hon. Member for North Shropshire on 7 November 2001.

Mr. Paterson

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) when she will reply to the letter of 26 June from the hon. Member for North Shropshire concerning his constituent Mr. Michael Hendry; [12634]

(2) when she will reply to the letter of 12 August from the hon. Member for North Shropshire regarding the access inquiries into foot and mouth will have to confidential documents; [12635]

(3) when she will reply to the letter of 6 August from the hon. Member for North Shropshire concerning his constituent, Piers Bratton. [12631]

Mr. Morley

[holding answers 6 November 2001]: I replied to the letters from the hon. Member on 7 November 2001.

Mrs. Shephard

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she will reply to the letter of 5 September from the right hon. Member for South-West Norfolk (Mrs. Shephard), on the creation of a large disposal site in Norfolk. [13238]

Mr. Morley

[holding answer 8 November 2001]: I replied to the right hon. Member on 7 November 2001.