§ Mr. SalmondTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if she will place in the Library for each year since 1995 the average response time for providing a substantive answer to(a) hon. Members' correspondence, 197W (b) correspondence from members of the public and (c) written parliamentary questions in the (i) Commons and (ii) Lords; [7010]
(2) if she will place in the Library for each year since 1995 the total number of (a) letters from hon. Members, (b) letters from members of the public and (c) parliamentary questions from (i) hon. Members and (ii) Lords dealt with by her Department; what percentage took (A) more than one month and (B) more than three months to provide a substantive answer; and if she will make a statement. [7011]
§ Mrs. LiddellThe effective handling of correspondence and PQs is an issue to which I, and ministerial colleagues, attach great importance.
General information on the volumes of correspondence received across Whitehall and on overall performance is published by the Cabinet Office. Figures for 2000 were published on 6 April 2001, Official Report, columns 324–28W and on 19 July 2001, Official Report, columns 454–56W.
The time limits for answering written parliamentary questions vary considerably and the calculation of an average response time would not, therefore, provide a reliable indication of the timeliness of answers.