HC Deb 09 February 2004 vol 417 cc1187-8W
Mr. Andrew Turner

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills when he will reply to the letter to Mr. Simon Rhodes, dated 15 July 2003, which was sent by special delivery on 17 July and signed for by his representatives on 18 July (Royal Mail's reference: SU 4643 1881 8GB). [151577]

Mr. Stephen Twigg

Unfortunately, the letter in question does not appear to have reached the intended recipient in our Special Educational Needs Division. I offer my apologies to the hon. Member and his constituent for that and any difficulties it may have caused. However, since then Baroness Ashton, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Sure Start, has sent two detailed replies dated 21 October and 19 December 2003 to the hon. Member in response to points raised.

Mr. Andrew Turner

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps he takes to ensure that documents received by Royal Mail special delivery are(a) recorded as such and (b) tracked within his Department. [151578]

Mr. Stephen Twigg

My Department has procedures in place for recording and tracking documents received by Royal Mail special delivery. Our procedures require a signature to be obtained from the end customer, as well as the mailroom, and then recorded for tracking purposes across Headquarter sites. However, procedures for special delivery documents at Sanctuary Buildings had been slightly different but have now been standardised in line with all the other Headquarter sites with immediate effect.