Ministers: Correspondence

(asked on 26th November 2018) - View Source

Question

To ask the Leader of the House whether there is a protocol relating to whether letters to ministers from members of the House of Lords should receive replies; and if so, how quickly replies should be sent.


This question was answered on 10th December 2018

The Government recognises the importance of effective and timely handling of correspondence with members of the House of Lords. Government departments should aim to provide a substantive response to routine correspondence within a maximum of 20 working days. However, sometimes circumstances dictate that it will not be possible to provide a response within this timeframe. In such instances, departments are advised to issue a ‘holding’ response until a more substantive response can be provided.

The Cabinet Office publishes an annual report detailing departmental performance in the handling of correspondence from members of both Houses. Lord Young of Cookham set out the 2017 performance figures in a Written Statement on 26 June 2018 (HLWS771). The 2018 performance figures will be published in summer 2019.

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