---

Citizens Charter

Mr. Alfred Morris: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment has he made of the effectiveness of the citizens charter; and if he will make a statement. [32685]

The Deputy Prime Minister: The key criterion for evaluating the effectiveness of the citizens charter is improvement in the standards and responsiveness of public services. A full account of this is set out in last year's charter White Paper "The Citizen's Charter: The Facts and Figures", Cm 2970.

Cost Compliance Assessments

Mrs. Roche: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how cost compliance assessments for legislation are arrived at; and what consultation there is with (a) business organisations and (b) representatives of small businesses before they are published. [33191]

Mr. Freeman: The arrangements for preparing compliance cost assessments are set out in "Checking the Cost of Regulation: A Guide to Compliance Cost Assessment", a copy of which is in the House Library. Responsibility for preparing the CCA rests with the official responsible for the policy proposal. A preliminary CCA should be prepared as soon as possible in the policy-making process. This should be refined as the policy proposal is developed, incorporating the views of business. Departments must consult business and representative bodies on the content of the CCA,

20 Jun 1996 : Column: 518

preferably on the basis of their initial assessment. Small businesses must also be consulted and the impact on them of the proposal must be separately identified.

Mrs. Roche: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what representations he has made to EU colleagues about consulting (a) business organisations and (b) small business representatives while drawing up cost compliance assessment for European legislation. [33192]

Mr. Freeman: The best way of calculating the costs of new regulatory proposals is to consult business and consultation with small businesses is particularly important. I take every opportunity to make this point in contacts with my EU colleagues.

Copyright

Mr. Maclennan: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what assessment his Department has made of the terms of the photocopying licence proposed by the Copyright Licensing Agency; and what plans it has to purchase such a licence. [33760]

Mr. Freeman: My Department is still considering the terms of the photocopying licence proposed by the agency.

Publications (Subscriptions)

Mr. Maclennan: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will list all (a) periodicals, (b) magazines and (c) academic journals received on subscription by his Department over the last three months. [33757]

Mr. Willetts: This information can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Correspondence

Mrs. Lait: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will publish the latest figures showing the volume of correspondence received by Ministers and agency chief executives from hon. members, the targets set for reply and the percentage of replies sent within target. [34211]

Mr. Willetts: The 1995 correspondence figures are set out in the table. The table also sets out the figures for 1994, first published on 18 April 1995, Official Report, columns 21-24. Hon. Members' attention is drawn to the footnotes which accompany the table and which provide general background information on how totals have been calculated. In particular, the entry for the Benefits Agency shows a fall in the number of letters received from 21,411 in 1994 to 2,689 in 1995. This reflects a change in the way the figures have been presented. The 1995 figure excludes 13,981 letters from Members of Parliament sent direct to district offices where local officials have replied.

Correspondence from Members of Parliament to Ministers and Agency Chief Executives

	1994			1995
Department/Agency	Target set for reply (working days)	Number of letters received	Percentage of replies within target	Target set for reply (working days)	Number of letters received	Percentage of replies within target
Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food	15	9,429	80	15	8,533	68
Intervention Board	10	109	96	10	16	100
Cabinet Office (OPS)	15	941	71	15	1,526	76
Central Statistical Office(1)	10	70	67	10(2)	42	67
Crown Prosecution Service	15	206	76	15	118	81
Customs and Excise	18	4,969	62	18	(3)4,914	68
Ministry of Defence	15	7,769	69	15	7,109	75
Army Base Repair Organisation	--	--	--	15	37	100
Defence Accounts Agency	10	51	90	10	63	93
Defence Animal Centre	--	--	--	5	18	100
Defence Evaluation and Research Agency	--	--	--	7	103	76
Defence Postal and Courier Service	--	--	--	15	13	100
Disposal Sales Agency	--	--	--	15	15	100
Duke of York's Royal Military School	--	--	--	3	17	100
Department of Education	20	12,615	85	20	(3)(4)7,582	81
Department of Employment	15	6,821	82	15	(4)3,227	90
Department for Education and Employment	--	--	--	20	(3)(5)8,111	87
Employment Service	15	1,156	85	15	1,306	97
Teachers' Pensions Agency	10	70	97	10	95	100
Department of the Environment	15	17,767	57	15	18,138	(6)52
Planning Inspectorate Agency	8	604	80	8	(7)593	89
Foreign and Commonwealth Office	10	11,178	89	10	7,364	90
Department of Health	20	16,311	84	20	16,121	79
Medicines Control Agency	--	--	--	10	11	100
NHS Pensions Agency	8	93	100	20	81	84
Her Majesty's Stationery Office	5	11	91	5	13	100
Home Office	15	14,830	20	(8)15	11,556	26
	25	12,845	51	(8)25	12,327	51
Her Majesty's Prison Service	15	1,569	73	15	2,564	76
UK Passport Agency	15	172	95	15	101	86
Inland Revenue	18	5,063	50	18	(3)(9)746	47
	23	1,048	60	23	(3)(10)36	49
Valuation Office	--	--	--	(11)23	(3)(12)221	48
	15	23	78	(13)15	31	51
Legal Secretariat to the Law Officers	15	549	76	15	(14)359	75
Lord Chancellor's Department	20	5,166	83	20	4,641	81
Court Service(15)	--	--	--	20	985	46
Her Majesty's Land Registry	20	31	90	20	63	100
Public Trust Office	15	36	75	15	45	98
Department of National Heritage	18	3,490	83	18	3,834	95
Historic Royal Palaces Agency	--	--	--	10	16	100
Royal Parks Agency	18	15	80	10	20	80
Northern Ireland Office	10	3,468	65	(16)10	(3)4,237	64
(including Northern Ireland Departments)	15	1,924	75	(17)15	(3)1,857	80
Child Support Agency (NI)	10	48	88	10	73	74
Compensation Agency (NI)	7	102	94	10	94	99
Northern Ireland Prison Service	--	--	--	10	54	83
Social Security Agency (NI)	10	28	93	10	41	63
Overseas Development Administration	15	3,962	93	15	3,941	96
The Scottish Office	17	5,562	49	17	5,874	49
Historic Scotland	17	13	92	17	39	95
Scottish Office Pensions Agency	--	--	--	17	11	100
Scottish Prison Service	17	68	76	17	81	84
Student Awards Agency for Scotland	--	--	--	17	61	95
Department of Social Security	20	23,193	64	20	(18)19,645	71
Benefits Agency	20	21,411	93	20	(19)2,689	89
Child Support Agency	20	9,092	25	20	(20)5,554	63
Contributions Agency	20	299	67	20	(21)304	48
War Pensions Agency	20	522	99	20	1,117	100
Department of Trade and Industry	10	23,171	74	10	(3)18,505	72
Companies House	10	79	66	10	44	85
Insolvency Service	10	33	88	10	29	100
Patent Office	--	--	--	10	17	100
Radiocommunications Agency	10	38	100	10	38	100
Department of Transport	15	20,905	72	15	19,427	65
Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency	10	357	95	7	402	99
Driving Standards Agency	10	87	87	15	122	94
Highways Agency	15	422	47	15	665	84
Marine Safety Agency	15	21	100	15	18	100
Transport Research Laboratory	15	10	90	15	11	100
Vehicle Inspectorate	15	17	100	15	42	98
Her Majesty's Treasury	15	4,728	54	15	(3)7,761	62
Welsh Office	12	3,062	73	12	2,987	82
CADW: Welsh Historic Monuments	12	47	93	12	46	93
Total number of letters		257,676			222,797
Average percentage of replies within target	--	--	78	--	--	82

(1) On the 1 April 1996 the Central Statistical Office merged with the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys to form the Office for National Statistics.

(2) Represents target set for CSO to submit replies to HM Treasury.

(3) Includes all ministerial replies, not only those letters to Members of Parliament.

(4) The Department for Education and the Department of Employment merged on the 6 July 1995. Figures given are for the period from 6 July to 31 December.

(5) The Department for Education and Employment was established on 6 July 1995. Figures given are for the period from 6 July to 31 December.

(6) 72 per cent. of letters were replied to within 20 working days.

(7) Figure includes letters received direct from Members of Parliament as well as via Ministers' offices. Figure also includes 26 cases which relate to Wales.

(8) Until April 1995 targets within the Home Office were expressed in calendar days and, because of bank holidays, performance was occasionally measured against fewer than the 15 or 25 working day target. The 25 day target is for replies in respect of subjects dealt with by the Immigration and Nationality Department, Prison Service and UK Passport Agency, and includes letters sent direct to the Immigration and Nationality Directorate Board. The 15 day target is for all other subjects.

(9) Head Office figures.

(10) Local Office figures. In addition, the Inland Revenue processed 471 'delegated cases', where local officials replied direct to MPs. Of these 78 per cent. were replied to within the 23 day target.

(11) Letters from MPs where the Chief Executive has replied on behalf of the Treasury Ministers.

(12) Excludes 94 letters relating to caravans, where the Agency conducted lengthy negotiations with the Industry. MPs were made aware that the constituency correspondence had been held in abeyance pending the outcome of negotiations.

(13) Letters from MPs sent direct to the Chief Executive.

(14) This figure excludes letters received by the Legal Secretariat to the Law Officers which were subsequently replied to by the Director of Public Prosecutions.

(15) The Court Service became an executive agency on 3 April 1995. Figures given are for all correspondence replied to by the Chief Executive between that date and the 31 December.

(16) Replies signed by the Minister.

(17) Replies signed by the Private Secretary to the Minister.

(18) Excludes letters replied to by the Chief Executive of the Child Support Agency on behalf of Ministers.

(19) In addition, the Benefits Agency replied to 13,981 letters from MPs sent direct to district offices, of which 95 per cent. were replied to within the 20 day target.

(20) Includes letters from MPs to Ministers where the Chief Executive has signed on Ministers' behalf.

(21) In addition, the Contributions Agency replied to 158 letters from MPs sent direct to district offices, of which 96 per cent. were replied to within the 20 day target.

(22) The 1994 figures are taken from the Official Report, 18 April 1995, columns 21-24. Please also refer to notes given with that reply. In addition the following Departments and Agencies received between 1 and 10 letters from Members of Parliament during 1995 but are not shown in the table.

Agricultural Development and Advisory Service, Central Science Laboratory, Meat Hygiene Service, Pesticides Safety Directorate, Veterinary Laboratories Agency and the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (MAFF).

Civil Service College, Occupation Health and Safety Agency (OPS).

Army Technical Support Agency, Defence Analytical Services Agency, Defence Clothing and Textiles Agency, Meterological Office, Military Survey, Naval Aircraft Repair Organisation, Naval Recruitment and Training Agency, Queen Victoria School and the RAF Training Group (MOD).

The Building Research Establishment Agency, the Buying Agency and Securities Facilities Executive (DOE).

Export Credit Guarantee Department.

Wilton Park (FCO).

Medical Devices Agency (Health).

Fire Service College (Home Office).

Government Property Lawyers Agency (Attorney General).

Public Record Office (LCD).

Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (NI), Driver and Vehicle Testing (NI), Rate Collection Agency, Training and Employment Agency (NI) and the Valuation and Lands Agency (Northern Ireland).

Scottish Records Office (Scottish Office).

IT Services Agency and Resettlement Agency (DSS).

Laboratory of the Government Chemist and the National Physical Laboratory (DTI).

Coastguard Agency and the Vehicle Certification Agency (DOT).

20 Jun 1996 : Column: 521

20 Jun 1996 : Column: 523

---