Latest news from MP Rosie Cooper:

ROSIE COOPER MP UNHAPPY WITH UNSATISFACTORY RESPONSES FROM GOVERNMENT TO CONSTITUENTS’ CONCERNS

Immediate release: Monday 20 July 2020

West Lancashire MP Rosie Cooper has expressed her frustration with Government departments providing unsatisfactory responses to residents’ concerns which simply don’t answer the questions posed.

During a statement in the House of Commons, Leader of the House Jacob Rees-Mogg explained that he did have to remind Ministers of basic courtesy in responding to MPs’ correspondence, and that replies should come from Ministers, not officials.

The Leader then offered to take up the case on behalf of any MP who has received awful responses or poor answers.

West Lancashire MP Rosie Cooper commented: “Notwithstanding the increased workload due to Covid-19 and changing ways of working, Government Ministers still have a duty to respond to MPs’ correspondence, not just leave it to officials, particularly when responding to constituents’ concerns.

“As the Shadow Leader of the House Valerie Vaz stated, ‘Ministers are obliged to provide meaningful responses’.

“We have seen a dramatic decline in the standard of these responses recently, some departments taking up to three months to respond to a query. They are also sending out generic responses which don’t actually answer the constituent’s question and many responses are being signed off by Government officials or civil servants who are unaccountable to Parliament.

“I have taken up the Leader’s offer and sent him through a tranche of my letters which remain unanswered or where the answer received has not answered the question and requested they deal with the questions put forward.”