Response from Mr Richard Benyon MP
I asked the following written question to the
Home Secretary on 10 October:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department
if she will estimate the percentage of immigration cases heard
in the Hatton Cross Tribunals in the next six months at which
a Home Office Presenting Officer will represent the Government's
case.
On receiving no reply I asked a follow up question
on 20th November. On receiving no answer I asked the Speaker through
a point-of-order whether I should be cynical and believe that
the delay was so that the question would fall at prorogation.
I received a reply from the Immigration Minister that he would
write to me. On receiving no letter I resubmitted my question
in the new session and finally received a reply by letter.
We can argue about the quality of that reply
but the point I would like to make is that it took an unacceptable
length of time and effort to elicit an answer to an important
question. If I hadn't persisted I suspect it would have quietly
been forgotten.
January 2009
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