To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the number of letters unopened in the (a) postroom and (b) registry at Lunar house, Croydon and the nationality department at Liverpool on the first day of each month for (a) 1988, (b) 1989 and (c) 1990.

The available information is set out in the table:

Letters unopened in IND
	1988	1989	1990
January	47,469	976	4,726
February	56,067	779	7,663
March	53,091	2,192	6,996
April	33,347	2,982	3,471
May	7,053	940	5,244
June	545	2,371	4,437
July	226	1,630	—
August	491	855	—
September	253	1,932	—
October	2,889	4,498	—
November	3,281	8,732	—
December	173	4,772	—

On average, letters are being acknowledged within three days of receipt in the Department. There are no unopened letters in the Liverpool nationality office, since correspondence is opened immediately on arrival and passed direct to caseworkers.