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DUCHY OF LANCASTER
Civil Service Year Book
Mr. Patrick Thompson: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when the civil service year book for 1996 will be published. [6728]
Mr. Willetts: The civil service year book 1996 will be published by HMSO on Monday 18 December. This is the first time it has been available for the beginning of the calendar year. This publication updates and extends the range of information available about ministerial appointments, Government Departments and agencies. A CD-ROM version will also be published simultaneously, providing additional key statistics. Copies of both will be placed in the House Libraries.
Public Bodies
Mr. Nigel Evans: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many non-departmental public bodies are currently in existence; what percentages of appointments to these bodies are held by women and by members of ethnic minorities; and when the annual list of such bodies will be published. [6649]
Mr. Willetts: On 1 April 1995, there were 1,227 non-departmental public bodies--a fall of 118 or 8.8 per cent. since 1994, and of 940 or 43 per cent. since 1979. As of 1 September 1995, 30 per cent. of appointments to these bodies were held by women and 2.9 per cent. by members of the ethnic minorities: this compares with 23 per cent. and 2.0 per cent. respectively four years ago, when the Prime Minister announced the Government's determination to increase the representation of women and ethnic minorities in this area. Details can be found in "Public Bodies 1995" published today. Copies have been placed in the Library of the House.
Civil Service Recruitment
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will publish the reports of the independent studies on marketing the civil service's fast stream recruitment scheme and the audit of the fast stream selection process which were announced earlier this year. [6878]
Mr. Willetts: The Government announced in January their intention to commission an external, expert review of the marketing of the fast stream recruitment scheme
14 Dec 1995 : Column: 747
and an independent audit of the selection process. Copies of the reports of both studies have been placed in the Libraries of the House.
The independent audit has investigated very thoroughly the current system of selection to the fast stream. Its general conclusions are that this is a well-administered and highly professional process and that all reasonable measures have been taken to develop a system which is fair and balanced. The report makes a number of recommendations which
The Government announced on 23 November their intention to transfer recruitment and assessment services to the private sector as a single viable business and in a way which will ensure that it retains its reputation for the provision of high quality recruitment services. The sale of RAS will include a contract for the fast stream recruitment process for future civil servants, specifying the services required, including any necessary changes stemming from the independent audit and marketing study.
Fuller information about the revised scheme will be contained in the annual report on fast stream recruitment, due to be published in May 1996.
Mr. Corbett:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will list those European capitals he has (a) visited and (b) plans to visit to discuss deregulation and give the total estimated cost to public funds of these visits. [5877]
Mr. Freeman:
I have discussed deregulation with Ministers, EU Commissioners and business leaders in Paris, Bonn, Madrid, The Hague, Copenhagen, Stockolm, Helsinki and Brussels. I intend to have further discussions with Ministers of the remaining European Union countries. The travel costs associated with the visits already undertaken is estimated to be £9,790. Arrangements for further visits are yet to be made.
Mr. David Atkinson:
To ask the Deputy Prime Minister in what way the Government are responding to the problem of non-recognition by computers of the year 2000 in respect of those computers used by (a) their own Departments and (b) large and small businesses; and if he will make a statement. [5530]
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The Deputy Prime Minister:
CCTA, the Government centre for information systems, has been discussing this matter with other Government organisations and the IT industry, and will be assessing existing guidance, and what action or advice may be required on the part of Government, during the first quarter of 1996.
Advice and help to large and small businesses are available through specialist publications, from the Computing Services and Software Association and from a number of private sector suppliers.
Mr. Betts:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will provide revenue forecasts for the current year and the next five years of expenditure on schemes provided under the PFI. [5715]
Mr. Freeman:
The Government's Metropolitan Telecommunications Service is already largely provided by the private sector, which owns much of the infrastructure. The Office of Public Service hopes to involve private finance further in the provision of software used by Government Departments. This could involve capital expenditure of some £1.5 million in 1996- 97, but it is not yet clear what revenue expenditure would replace the capital expenditure programme.
Mr. Betts:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what percentage of bills to his Department were paid in accordance with agreed contractual conditions or, where no such contractual conditions existed, within 30 days of receiving goods and services or the presentation of a valid invoice in the last year for which figures are available. [5707]
Mr. Willetts:
The Cabinet Office's performance in respect of the payment of invoices from its suppliers is published in the annual departmental report, Cm 2820. That report gave information in respect of 1994. The next report, due to be published in March 1996, will provide information relating to the payment of invoices during 1995.
Mr. Tony Banks:
To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much his Department has spent on official hospitality in the financial year to date; and what is the 1995-96 projected budget for official hospitality. [5585]
Mr. Willetts:
Expenditure on official hospitality by the Cabinet Office, including the Office of Public Service, and its executive agencies, excluding HMSO--for the period 1 April 1995 to the end of November is £30,100. Expenditure by HMSO, which has a different accounting year, is £33,900, for the period 1 January to the end of November.
The projected budget for official hospitality in the full financial year 1995-96 is £41,200. This excludes HMSO and COI. The latter does not separately identify hospitality within its budgeting system, as it is included as part of its overall budget for marketing and client relations. HMSO's projected budget for its financial year 1995 is £37,000.
14 Dec 1995 : Column: 749
Miss Lestor:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what (a) proportion and (b) value in pounds sterling of the overseas aid budget has been tied to the purchase of British goods or services in each year since 1979-80. [5120]
The marketing study has identified a number of key actions needed if the attractiveness of the fast stream to potential recruits is to be strengthened and broadened. A programme of action has therefore been agreed, for introduction in the 1996 recruitment competition. The name of the revised scheme, will be the "fast stream development programme", retaining the "fast stream" brand identified by the marketing study as a valuable asset, but making clearer that entry is to a development programme of limited duration.
"represent suggestions for 'fine tuning' rather than radical change". Most of these have been accepted and action is in hand to implement them.
| Year | Bilateral tied aid (£ million) | Percentage of total bilateral aid |
|---|---|---|
| 1979 | 525 | 77 |
| 1980 | 489 | 70 |
| 1981 | 563 | 67 |
| 1982 | 471 | 70 |
| 1983 | 460 | 66 |
| 1984 | 477 | 61 |
| 1985 | 523 | 63 |
| 1986 | 598 | 71 |
| 1987 | 529 | 69 |
| 1988 | 692 | 69 |
| 1989 | 787 | 71 |
| 1990 | 740 | 71 |
| 1991 | 933 | 73 |
| 1992 | 650 | 67 |
| 1993 | 703 | 65 |
| 1994 | 557 | 54 |
1. Tying status data is only available for the United Kingdom's bilateral aid programme. No reliable data are available for the tying status of technical cooperation so all of this aid is reported to the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) of the OECD as being tied and is included in the above figures. 2. The DAC definition of tied aid means that procurement is restricted to a specified number of countries. Data on aid specifically tied to the procurement of British goods and services are unavailable. 3. In addition, aid is given to multilateral agencies who also procure British goods and services.
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