Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the average length of time was for Ministers of his Department to respond to correspondence from hon. Members in each month in the last two years.

In line with Cabinet Office guidance, the Department has a target of responding to correspondence within 18 working days, where a response is required.

The Department is currently dealing with unprecedented volumes of correspondence due to COVID-19. The Department ensures that urgent cases raised by hon. Members are prioritised and is taking steps to provide substantive responses in as short a time as possible.

All correspondence received from hon. Members is being reviewed and will be responded to as soon as possible.