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Articulating key messages and a framework for action in relation to leadership, partnership, commissioning, volunteer management, and support for individual volunteers, the vision is designed to engage everybody working in the health and social care system, in the public and third sectors, to support its aim to:

enhance the profile and involvement of volunteers;highlight its potential in terms of health and well-being;improve the evidence base for investment;promote best practice;reduce obstacles and increase opportunities that make volunteering accessible to all; andinspire and enable change to support its delivery.

Local Government: Housing and Planning Delivery Grant

Statement

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Communities and Local Government & Department for Work and Pensions (Lord McKenzie of Luton): My right honourable friend the Minister for Housing and Planning (John Healey) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.

I am today announcing the final allocations of £135 million of housing and planning delivery grant (HPDG) for 2009-10. The grant provides a direct incentive for councils to work with partners in the public and private sector to ensure that new homes are built where they are needed. It is an additional top-up to mainstream funding and councils can choose how to spend it locally.

A copy of the determination and a table showing the local authority allocations is available in the Libraries of the House.

Members' and Peers' Correspondence

Statement

Baroness Crawley: My right honourable friend the Minister of State, Cabinet Office (Angela E Smith) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.

I am today publishing a report on departments' and agencies' performance on handling Members' and Peers' correspondence during 2009. Details are set out in the attached table. 2008 correspondence statistics

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can be found on 2 April 2009 (Official Report, 81WS-86WS). Departmental figures are based on substantive replies unless otherwise indicated.

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The footnotes to the table provide general background information on how the figures have been compiled.

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Correspondence from MPs/Peers to Ministers and Agency Chief Executives in 2009
Correspondence from MPs/Peers to Ministers and Agency Chief Executives1	2009
Department or Agency	Target set for reply (working days)	Number of letters received	% of replies within target
Attorney General's Office	20	192	88
Department for Business, Innovation & Skills2	15	17623	58
-Companies House	10	96	100
-Insolvency Service	10	794	74
-UK Intellectual Property Office	10	481	88
Cabinet Office	15	1444	82
Charity Commission	10	214	78
Department for Children, Schools and Families	15	15256	78
Department for Communities and Local Government	15	9154	63
-Planning Inspectorate	10	184	90
Crown Prosecution Service	15	483	96
Department for Culture, Media and Sport3	20	3215	56
-Royal Parks	20	30	93
Ministry of Defence	15	6254	86
-Met Office	10	14	93
-Service Personnel and Veterans Agency	15	198	94
Department for Energy and Climate Change4	15	9071	51
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs	15	12527	73
-Animal Health	15	76	93
-Marine Fisheries Agency	15	35	82
-Rural Payments Agency	15	406	66
Food Standards Agency
DH Ministers replies	20	408	70*
	20	584	95**
FSA Chair/CE replies	20	120	90
-Meat Hygiene Service	15	22	100
* response to non-campaign letters
** response to campaign letters
Foreign and Commonwealth Office	20	10462	82
Government Equalities Office	20	1438	63
Department of Health	20	16008	93
-Medicines and Healthcare Products	20	516	95*
Regulatory Agency	20	22	77**
-NHS Purchasing and Supplies Agency	20	33	94
*Agency Ministerial cases
**Letters sent directly to Agency Chief Executive or where Agency Chief Executives responded on behalf of Ministers
Home Office	15	9128	88
-Criminal Records Bureau	10	933	99
-Identity and Passport Service	10	1012	72
-UK Border Agency	20	66320	78
Department for International Development	15	2013	95
Ministry of Justice5	20	4554	63
-HM Courts Service	20	729	65
-HM Land Registry	20	52	96
-National Archives	20	60	95
-National Offender Management Service	20	1723	60
-Northern Ireland Court Service	20	16	88
-Office of the Public Guardian	20	220	82
-Official Solicitor and Public Trustee	20	32	50
-Tribunals Service	20	273	66
Northern Ireland Office	15	637	85
-Compensation Agency	10	15	73
-Northern Ireland Prison Service	10	79	77
Office for National Statistics	10	112	79
Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Schools	7	232	58
Office of Fair Trading	15	497	72
Office of Gas and Electricity Markets	15	200	77
Office of the Leader of the House of Commons	15	418	72
Office of the Leader of the House of Lords	15	63	92
Office of Rail Regulation	20	93	92
Office of Water Services	10	404	58
Postal Services Commission	7	13	77
Scotland Office6	15	75	40
Serious Fraud Office	20	43	81
Department for Transport	15	9150	89
-Driver Vehicle Licensing Agency	7	1486	100
-Driving Standards Agency	10	185	99
-Highways Agency	15	443	94
-Maritime and Coastguard Agency	10	12	91
-Vehicle and Operator Services Agency	10	112	98
HM Treasury7	15	16251	53
-H M Revenue and Customs	15	5492	75
	15	774*	81
-National Savings and Investments	15	19	79
-Office of Government Commerce	15	47	85
	15	93**	93
*Local Office and 'delegated' figures (where local tax offices have replied directly to MPs)
** Letters where Chief Executive has replied
-Valuation Office	18	25	72
Treasury Solicitor's Department	10	32	100
Wales Office	15	101	82
Department for Work and Pensions	20	18062	76
-Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission	15	6352	99
-Debt Management	15	43	86
-Health and Safety Executive	15	117	66
-Jobcentre Plus	15	2847	93
-Pension, Disability and Carers Service	15	2292	84

1 Departments and Agencies which received 10 MPs/Peers letters or fewer are not shown in this table. Holding or interim replies are not included unless otherwise indicated. The report does not include correspondence considered as Freedom of Information requests.

2 Includes BERR and DIUS. Following an increase in correspondence relating to the recession, a review has been undertaken to improve performance and recommendations are now being implemented. Performance rose to 73 per cent by end of 2009.

3 An external review was undertaken mid-year, from which an action plan was agreed. Performance rose to 73 per cent by end of 2009.

4 In 2009 DECC's correspondence was handled by a shared services system. DECC now has its own correspondence unit which will lead to an improvement in the handling of correspondence.

5 A substantial increase in the volume of correspondence received by MoJ has contributed to a downturn in performance. Measures are in place to improve correspondence handling as a matter of urgency and these have led to a significant improvement. Performance rose to 86 per cent by end of 2009.

6 Measures have been put in place to improve the correspondence process as a matter of urgency, including systematic monitoring by senior management. The drop in performance in 2009 is largely attributable to delays in receiving essential information. Measures have been put in place to improve our correspondence process as a matter of urgency, including systematic monitoring by senior management.

7 Performance has been affected by a significant increase in all correspondence to the Treasury, creating a backlog of cases in the first half of 2009. This has been addressed over the course of the year and performance rose to 59 per cent by end of 2009.

Pensions: National Employment Savings Trust (NEST)

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