Treasury

Tax Credit Office: Correspondence

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how long on average the Tax Credit Office took to respond to written queries in the latest period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

[Official Report, 29 June 2009, Vol. 495, c. 24W.]

Letter of correction from Mr. Timms:

An error has been identified in the written answer given to the hon. Member for Rochford and Southend, East (James Duddridge) on 29 June 2009. The full answer given was as follows: (282923)

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how long on average the Tax Credit Office took to respond to written queries in the latest period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. (282923)

The information is not available.

The correct answer should have been:

The information is not available in the format requested.

For information about the time taken to provide a substantive response to tax credits complaints in 2008-09 I refer the hon. Member to the following table:

*Response times to written complaints on tax credits by the Tax Credit Office in 2008-09*
Cleared within	Percentage clearance	Cumulative percentage
Less than 1 week	3	3
1 to 2 weeks	14	16
2 to 3 weeks	18	34
3 to 4 weeks	14	48
4 to 5 weeks	11	59
Over 5 weeks	41	100

Volume 497: debated on Monday 12 October 2009