Debate: Members' and Peers' Correspondence

Written Ministerial Statements

Members' and Peers' Correspondence

Extraordinary Energy Council

Monday 28th March 2011

(13 years, 7 months ago)

Written Statements

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The Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General (Mr Francis Maude)

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I am today publishing a report on Departments’ and agencies’ performance on handling Members’ and peers’ correspondence during the calendar year 2010. Details are set out in the attached table. Correspondence statistics for 2009 can be found on 16 March 2010, Official Report, 47-50WS.

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 MP*/ *Peers to Ministers and Agency Chief Executives in 2010*
Correspondence from MP/ Peers to Ministers and Agency Chief Executives¹	2010
Department or Agency	Target set for reply (working days)	Number of letters received	% of replies within target
Attorney-General’s Office	20	150	73
Department for Business, Innovation and Skills	15	13243	71
Companies House	10	109	100
Insolvency Service	10	42	64
Cabinet Office	15	3048	58²
Charity Commission	10	143	70
Department for Communities and Local Government	15	9117	77
Planning Inspectorate	7³	236	85
Crown Prosecution Service	20	460	98
Department for Culture, Media and Sport	20	4006	96⁵
Royal Parks⁴	10	20	95
Ministry of Defence	15	6072	77
Met Office	10	15	87
Service Personnel and Veterans Agency	15	125	96
Department for Education	15	18512	42⁶
Department of Energy and Climate Change	15	6343	69
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs	15	10944	83
Animal Health	15	121	95
Rural Payments Agency	15	552	63
Food Standards Agency
DH Ministers replies	20	1081	83
FSA Chair/CE replies	20	121	83
Meat Hygiene Service⁷	15	18	100
Foreign and Commonwealth Office	20	9845	90
Government Equalities Office	20	666	80
Department of Health	20	17733	97
Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency	20	318	98^*
	20	38	92^**
Agency Ministerial cases *Letters sent directly to agency chief executive or where agency chief executives responded on behalf of Ministers
Home Office	15	13532	56⁸
Criminal Records Bureau	10	1072	70⁹
Identity and Passport Service	10	1014	87
UK Border Agency	20	57651	88
Department for International Development	15	3163	95
Ministry of Justice	15	4084	78
HM Courts Service	15	939	80
HM Land Registry	15	109	78
National Archives	15	36	92
National Offender Management Service	15	1190	70^*
	20	348	89^**
Office of the Public Guardian	15	191	89
Official Solicitor and Public Trustee	15	43	79
Tribunals Service	15	264	86
Where Ministers replied * Where CEO replied
Northern Ireland Office	15	649	78
Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Schools	15	149	88
Office of Fair Trading	15	471	66
Office of Gas and Electricity Markets	15	160	77
Office of the Leader of the House of Commons	15	218	83
Office of the Leader of the House of Lords	15	35	89
Office of Rail Regulation	20	70	84
OFWAT (Water Services Regulation Authority)	10	92	70
Postal Services Commission	5	11	73
Scotland Office	15	88	68
Serious Fraud Office	20	43	83
Department for Transport	15	8359	74
Driver Vehicle Licensing Agency	7	1622	99
Driving Standards Agency	10	158	100
Highways Agency	15	371	93
Maritime and Coastguard Agency	10	21	95
Vehicle and Operator Services Agency	10	86	97
HM Treasury	15	10811	51¹⁰
H M Revenue and Customs	15	4028	75
HMRC CEO^*	15	729	50
*Cases where the HMRC’s chief executive has replied directly, rather than Ministers
Treasury Solicitor’s Department	10	23	96
Wales Office	15	131	82
Department for Work and Pensions	20	19020	85
Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission	15	3967	99
Debt Management	15	28	86
Health and Safety Executive	15	93	92
Jobcentre Plus	15	3195	94
Pension, Disability and Carers Service	15	2047	100
¹ 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. Includes correspondence received from prospective parliamentary candidates. ² Performance has been affected by a 111% rise in correspondence following the formation of the new Government and machinery of government changes. Measures have been put in place to improve performance in 2011. ³ With effect from 1 July, response target revised to seven working days. ⁴ Response target reduced to 10 working days with effect from 1 September. ⁵ From 28 June 2010 performance was monitored on 2537 letters received to departmental targets of two working days (46% achieved) and 10 working days (82%) achieved). ⁶ DFE received an increase of 20% in correspondence received compared to the previous year (35% increase for May to December compared to the same period in the previous year) contributing to a downturn in performance. The Department is investing in new processes and resources to ensure improvement in 2011. Includes correspondence sent to the former DCSF. ⁷ The Meat Hygiene Service was dissolved on 31 March. ⁸ The drop in HO performance is attributed to a number of new policies being developed as well as policy areas being reviewed which resulted in a temporary delay in replies being sent. ⁹ CRB experienced a 56% increase in correspondence during the fourth quarter of 2010. ¹⁰ Includes correspondence received by OGC, NS&I and the Valuation Office. Performance increased in the first six months of the year to average 64%. The Election, Emergency Budget, Autumn Statement and the Spending Review public consultation exercise increased correspondence levels, resulting in a temporary drop in performance. Correspondence levels are expected to remain high but with a departmental focus on improving performance taking place.