Statement
My honourable friend the Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office (Tom Watson) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
I am today publishing a report on departments' and agencies' performance on handling Members' and Peers' correspondence during 2008. Details are set out in the table below. 2007 correspondence statistics can be found in the Official Report, 20 March 2008, col. 71WS. Departmental figures are based on substantive replies unless otherwise indicated.
The footnotes to the table provide general background information on how the figures have been compiled.
Correspondence from MPs/Peers to Ministers and Agency Chief Executives i 2008 Department or Agency Target set for reply (working days) Number of letters received % of replies within target Attorney General’s Office 20 314 94 Department for Business, Enterprise & Regulatory Reform ii 15 9,875 59 Companies House 10 60 100 Insolvency Service 10 430 91 Cabinet Office 15 473 93 Department for Communities and Local Government iii 15 10,227 68 Planning Inspectorate 8 186 83 Crown Prosecution Service 15 484 98 Department for Children, Schools and Families 15 15,810 86 Department for Culture, Media and Sport iv 20 4,798 58 Royal Parks Agency 20 11 100 Ministry of Defence 15 5,345 81 Met Office 10 14 100 Service Personnel and Veterans Agency 15 919 98 Department for Energy and Climate Change v 15 2,215 39 Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs vi 15 14,526 68 Animal Health 15 60 93 Marine Fisheries Agency 15 23 91 Rural Payments Agency 15 396 73 Foreign and Commonwealth Office 20 10,334 87 Government Equalities Office vii 20 818 49 Department of Health 20 20,242 95 Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency 20 113 75* 20 19 88* NHS Purchasing and Supplies Agency 20 36 94 *Agency Ministerial cases **Letters sent directly to Agency Chief Executive or where Agency Chief Executives responded on behalf of Ministers Food Standards Agency 20 590 76 DH Ministers replies 20 258 78 viii* 20 217 71** FSA Chair/CE replies 20 70 95* 20 12 33** Meat Hygiene Service 20 33 97 *response to non-campaign letters **response to campaign letters Home Office 15 6,933 89 Criminal Records Bureau 10 666 96 Identity and Passport Service 10 1,247 84 UK Border Agency 20 51,905 78 Department for Innovation, Universities and Science 15 5,223 74 UK Intellectual Property Office 10 19 100 Department for International Development ix 15 3,100 67 Ministry of Justice 20 5,231 82 HM Courts Service 15 38 97 Land Registry 20 88 97 National Offender Management Service x 20 537 90 Office of the Public Guardian 15 246 89 Official Solicitor and Public Trustee 15 17 100 Tribunals Service 10 1,390 89 Northern Ireland Office 15 568 82 Compensation Agency 10 66 88 Northern Ireland Prison Service 10 78 83 Office for National Statistics 15 153 88* 10 82 78** * Letters signed by the National Statistician. Also includes 62 letters signed by HMT Ministers ** Letters sent direct National Statistician Office of the Leader of the House of Commons 15 422 95 Office of the Leader of the House of Lords 15 11 90 HM Revenue and Customs 15 4,826 73 15 1,252 76* * Local Office and “delegated” figures (where local tax offices have replied directly to MPs) Scotland Office 15 102 64 Department for Transport 15 8,393 77 Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency 7 1,692 99 Driving Standards Agency 10 227 62 Highways Agency 15 365 99 Vehicle and Operator Services Agency 15 56 98 HM Treasury 15 14,057 80 National Savings and Investments 15 17 88 Office of Government Commerce 15 12 83* 15 24 92** *Letters where Ministers have replied ** Letters where Chief Executive has replied Valuation Office 18 41 73 Treasury Solicitor's Department 10 25 88 Wales Office 15 113 80 Department for Work and Pensions 20 15,360 84 Child Support Agency 15 7,313 100 Debt Management Service 15 56 100 Disability and Carers Service 15 598 100 Health and Safety Executive 15 149 98 Jobcentre Plus 15 2,229 83 The Pension Service 15 1,477 98
i Departments and agencies which received 10 MPs/Peers letters or fewer are not shown in this table. Holding or interim replies are not included unless otherwise indicated. The report does not include correspondence considered as Freedom of Information requests.
ii Implementation of new correspondence handling system led to delays in first half of the year. Issues have been resolved and led to significant improvement in performance in second half of the year.
iii Communities and Local Government's performance improved in 2008 and it continues to take measures to improve further.
iv During 2008 DCMS underwent a department-wide transformation programme, including significant changes to the central correspondence unit. This resulted in a drop in performance and efforts are being made to resolve outstanding issues as quickly as possible.
v Defra/BERR currently handle DECC correspondence. The setting up of a new department led to delays in responding to correspondence. Measures being put in place to improve correspondence performance as a matter of high priority.
vi Creation of DECC led to a significant increase in correspondence which was initially handled by Defra. Prior to this 75 per cent of correspondence was responded to within target.
vii GEO, a new department, began handling its own Ministerial correspondence in May 2008. It is making changes to improve performance of internal handling of correspondence. New internal guidance has been implemented as well as staff training.
viii The FSA and DH are working together to minimise delays in the processing of correspondence.
ix DfID is introducing changes to their correspondence handling system and will be introducing a new correspondence database in June to improve performance. The correspondence unit has been restructured and reinforced with additional staff and targets have been steadily improving since July 2008.
x Includes HM Prison Service.