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Defence Clothing and Textiles Agency

Mr. Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list (a) those targets of the Defence Clothing and Textiles Agency for 1998-99 which (i) were and (ii) were not achieved, giving the factors affecting the outcome in each case and (b) action taken by the agency to improve target achievement performance in 1999-2000; and if he will make a statement. [111731]

Dr. Moonie [holding answer 6 March 2000]: This is a matter for the Chief Executive of the Defence Clothing and Textiles Agency. I have asked the Chief Executive to write to the right hon. and learned Member.

Letter from M. J. Roycroft to Mr. Menzies Campbell, dated 7 March 2000:

You asked the Secretary of State for Defence to list the targets for the Defence Clothing and Textiles Agency (DCTA) for 1998-99 which were and were not achieved, together with the factors affecting the outcome and the action taken by the Agency to improve target achievement performance in 1999-2000. As Chief Executive of DCTA, I have been asked by the Secretary of State to furnish a reply.

The 1998/99 Key Targets were announced in the House of Commons on 8 April 1998. A summary of the Agency's achievement against these appears in the DCTA Annual Report and Accounts 1998/99 that was published in July 1999. Copies are available in the House of Commons Library.

All Key Targets were met, apart from Key Target 3 which was "to exceed 90% of customers' perceived satisfaction of requirements." In a Customer Survey in December 1998 by the Defence Analytical Services Agency (DASA) on DCTA's behalf, the Agency scored 87%--missing the target by 3%. Notwithstanding that the target was missed and that we continued to try to improve, 87% is an extremely high achievement by industry standards. Further details are in Annex A.

Measures taken during 1999-2000 to attempt to improve performance against Key Targets include the further development of DCTA's helpdesk, shorter pipeline times, enhanced availability, and continued improved communications with our customers, to ensure we are providing the quality and quantity of items which they require.

I trust this response will answer your questions satisfactorily.

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Serial	Description of key target	Performance
KT3	To exceed 90% of customers' perceived satisfaction of requirements	Not Achieved. The Agency achieved a score of 87% overall customer satisfaction in an independent survey, missing the testing target by only 3%. There were many positive comments, all indicating a customer perception that DCTA had improved availability, fitness for purpose and communication during the period. Further development of the helpdesk, communication, shorter pipeline times and maintained improvement of product availability were the major lessons learned, from which several business initiatives have been implemented by FY 99/00. A more detailed Customer survey is being conducted in the present year (FY 99/00) to assess the impact of these initiatives.

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Defence Dental Agency

Mr. Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list (a) those targets of the Defence Dental Agency for 1998-99 which (i) were and (ii) were not achieved, giving the factors affecting the outcome in each case and (b) action taken by the agency to improve target achievement performance in 1999-2000; and if he will make a statement. [111733]

Dr. Moonie [holding answer 6 March 2000]: This is a matter for the Chief Executive of the Defence Dental Agency. I have asked the Chief Executive to write to the right hon. and learned Member.

Letter from I. G. McIntyre to Mr. Menzies Campbell, dated 7 March 2000:

I am replying to your Question to the Secretary of State for Defence concerning the 1998-99 achievement against targets as this matter falls within my area of responsibility as Chief Executive for the Defence Dental Agency.

The Key Targets published for 1998-99 are listed below.

Key Target 1:

From within available personnel resources, achieve 100% of required professional and military trained personnel, at the specified readiness for deployment in support of the National Contingency Force.

Key Target 2:

To achieve an overall increase in dental fitness to 75% for Service personnel.

Key Target 3:

Measures are to be implemented to target dental treatment towards clinical priority groups leading to a zero increase in the Treatment Needs performance indicator.

Key Target 4:

To reduce the percentage of failed appointments with Dental Officers and the time wasted by such failures by 10%. To reduce the percentage of failed appointments with Dental Hygienists and the time wasted by such failures by 25%.

Key Target 5:

To limit the number of personnel in dental fitness category D4 (not inspected for 12 months or more) to 15% of the total service population.

Key Target 6:

To achieve a success rate for Dental Support Specialists training of 95% of the requirement which is determined by single Service manning supply.

Of these targets 4 were achieved but Key Targets 2 and 4 were not met.

For Key Target 2 the overall level of dental fitness achieved at the end of the reporting year was 72%. When the target was set, as had been previously recognised for 1997/99, we were not resourced to meet this target for the Army. It was therefore set as a purely "aspirational target". In 1999-2000 the aim is to maintain an agreed level of fitness as may be decided by mutual agreement with each of the Agency's three single Service customers.

For Key Target 4 it was recognised that this parameter was not wholly or even primarily within the control of the Defence Dental Agency and this target does not therefore feature in the 1999-2000 targets set for the Agency.

Logistics Information Services Agency

Mr. Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list (a) those targets of the Logistics Information Services agency for 1998-99 which (i) were and (ii) were not achieved, giving the factors affecting

7 Mar 2000 : Column: 646W

the outcome in each case and (b) action taken by the agency to improve target achievement performance in 1999-2000; and if he will make a statement. [111768]

Dr. Moonie [holding answer 7 March 2000]: This is a matter for the Chief Executive of the Defence Logistic Information Systems Agency. I have asked the Chief Executive to write to the right hon. and learned Member.

Letter from P. A. Flanagan to Mr. Menzies Campbell, dated 7 March 2000]:

1. I am replying to your Question to the Secretary of State for Defence about Key Targets in 1998/99 and 1999/00 as this matter falls within my area of responsibility as Chief Executive of the Logistic Information Systems Agency (LISA).

2. Much of the information requested is contained in the Annual Report and Accounts 1998/99 (HC688), a copy of which is in the Library of the House. However, for clarity, it is repeated below.

3. Your first question asked about those targets for 1998-99 which were, and were not, achieved, giving the factors affecting the outcome in each case. The details for this are as follows;

a. The first Key Target was, "To deliver the agreed levels of service within budget levels defined by the customer". This target was achieved.

b. The second Key Target was, "To achieve a reduction in unit cost of 3% by April 1999". This target was also achieved.

c. The third Key Target was in three parts, that is, "To improve delivery performance to customer requirements such that".

i. "95% of Requests For Change are assessed within 7 days". This target was not achieved. Measures taken to reduce assessment intervals included an increase in the number of Personal Computers with access to RED BOX (the Service Management tool-set) and associated training programme to educate LISA Customer Service Managers in the effective use of the package in the progression of RFCs. These measures, together with the identification and elimination of bottlenecks in the process, secured a very substantial improvement in performance from 67.21% in the previous year achieving 92.6% by the end of March 1999. Actions taken to improve target achievement performance in 1999/00 include exploitation of new features offered by the latest release of RED BOX, and a continuation of the RED BOX training programme. The latter has the objective of improving use and perception of the package and increasing its acceptance throughout the Agency as a significant means of improving performance.

ii. The average period required for Request for Change authorisation is reduced by 10%. This target was achieved.

iii. "85% of Requests For Change are moved from the Tasking Phase to the Implementation Phase within 90 days". This target was achieved.

4. In addition, a new, and significant, means to improve performance is the implementation of Resource Accounting and Budgeting (RAB). As a result of this, Customer-Supplier Agreements are being used to enable the customers themselves to define the outputs required from the Agency. For example, this has enabled LISA to develop one of the targets from one of unit cost to one that now commit the Agency to delivering requirements defined by the customers, but at 97% of the cost of the Agreement to which the customer has agreed and contracted.

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