Chris Vince (Harlow) (Lab/Co-op)
On a point of order, Mr Speaker. In business questions on Thursday, I spoke about Tom Farr, the former leader of Harlow council, who passed away last week.—[Official Report, 6 March 2025; Vol. 763, c. 456.] I have subsequently been contacted by a number of Tom’s friends and have been asked to correct the record. Tom was not a secondary school teacher, but a social worker who worked with young people with disabilities. I would like to get that on the record.
Paul Holmes (Hamble Valley) (Con)
On a point of order, Mr Speaker. I seek your guidance on how I may get a response to correspondence I have sent to Departments on behalf of my constituents, in particular His Majesty’s Treasury. I was going to raise a case that had not been answered since August 2024, but coincidentally I received a response this morning. But I would like to raise a case on behalf of a small business that I wrote to the Treasury about in December. There has been no answer since December. I chased the Department on 12 February and was told that a response would be with me when they could possibly get it to me. I have still not had a response. The issues I have raised with the Treasury are important ones for a small business in my constituency that is being affected by this Government’s adverse policies. How do I get an answer for my constituents from the Treasury, and how should I take this forward?
Mr Speaker
First, I thank the hon. Member for giving me notice of the point of order. The Chair is not responsible for ministerial correspondence, but the hon. Member has certainly put his comments on the record. I am sure that those on the Treasury Bench will have noted them.
I will be quite honest: as the Speaker of the House, I am very disappointed when Departments do not answer all Members, whichever side of the House they are from. Departments are doing the casework on behalf of Members. The least we can expect is a reply on time. If there is no further action, the hon. Member should come back. I will certainly be speaking with the Leader of the House and the Whips of the party to ensure that those replies come on time. It is totally unacceptable.