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Monitoring Unit

Mr. Lansley: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the cost of the Government Information and Communications Service Media Monitoring Unit was in 1999-2000. [120013]

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Mr. Stringer: £535,000, subject to final reconciliation of outstanding invoices. These costs are recovered from a large number of Departments out of their existing funds. The Cabinet Office contribution is £25,000.

Rural Banking and Postal Services

Mr. Lansley: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what representations she has received in relation to her role as Chair of the Ministerial Group on Rural Affairs concerning the loss of banking and postal services in rural areas. [119981]

Marjorie Mowlam: On the issue of banking I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Economic Secretary on 20 March 2000, Official Report, column 445W. I have received a number of representations, which I have discussed with ministerial colleagues as appropriate.

Centre for Management and Policy Studies

Mr. Lansley: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the cost or net revenue of the International Consultancy Group within the Centre for Management and Policy Studies is planned to be in the current financial year. [120023]

Mr. Stringer: In the financial year 2000-01, the International Consultancy Group (ICG) plans to generate a revenue of £2,300,000. The direct cost of the ICG for the same year is planned to be £1,961,000. The contribution to the costs of the Centre for Management and Policy Studies by the ICG will therefore be £339,000.

Mr. Lansley: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if she will make a statement on the role of the International Consultancy Group within the Centre for Management and Policy Studies. [120022]

Mr. Stringer: The International Consultancy Group (ICG) was established in 1996 to co-ordinate the Civil Service College's developing portfolio of international public service assignments. The current role of ICG, now within the Centre for Management and Policy Studies (CMPS), is to work internationally to help create sustainable capacity for the modernisation of public administration.

ICG's current priorities include the need to develop the skills and capacities of senior civil services in Accession States as they negotiate with and join the European Union; and technical assistance to emerging democracies and democracies in transition as they seek to strengthen central co-ordination and service delivery in public administration.

Mr. Lansley: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if she will make a statement on the work of the Centre for Management and Policy Studies. [119935]

Mr. Stringer: The Centre for Management and Policy Studies (CMPS), which was established in June 1999 and incorporates the Civil Service College, is integral to the process of modernising government. The CMPS works to ensure that the Civil Service is cultivating the right skills, culture and approaches to perform its task; to ensure that policy makers across government have access to the best research, evidence and international experience; and to help government to learn better from existing policies.

2 May 2000 : Column: 85W

Examples of recent CMPS activity include programmes of joint seminars for Ministers and officials; developing a Resource Centre to support policy making, through the use of evidence and research; and comprehensive programmes of training reflecting all aspects of the Modernising Government agenda delivered by the Civil Service College.

Departmental Targets

Mr. Lansley: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if she will (a) list the targets set by her Department and (b) make a statement on her Department's work to meet the targets. [119951]

Mr. Stringer: The targets set for my Department are all listed in the publication "Public Service Agreements 1999-2002" (CM 4181) which is available in the Library.

The work carried out by my Department to meet these targets during 1999-2000 is described in Chapter 2 of the Cabinet Office's annual report to Parliament "The Government's Expenditure Plans 2000-01 to 2001-02" (CM 4618) which was laid before Parliament on 10 April 2000. This report also contains summary information of the performance of COI and my Department's only agency, the Government Car and Despatch Agency (GCDA).

Full details of performance targets for COI, and its progress against them, can be found in COI's annual reports. The last report was published in July 1999 by the Stationery Office (ISBN: 0-10-273199-3).

Similarly, full details of performance targets for GCDA, and its progress against these targets, can be found in GCDA's annual reports. The last report was also published in July 1999 by the Stationery Office (ISBN: 0-10-280899-6).

Accommodation

Mr. Lansley: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the objectives are of the Cabinet Office new accommodation project. [120026]

Mr. Stringer: The objective of the new accommodation project is to accommodate the great majority of Cabinet Office staff in 70 Whitehall and one other central London building. The inter-connected Admiralty Arch, Ripley Building and Kirkland House will thus become the Department's second London home. Cabinet Office staff are currently accommodated in a number of central London buildings, some of which are on leases nearing expiry.

The project is an integral part of Sir Richard Wilson's review of the Cabinet Office announced by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 28 July 1998. As well as providing modern office accommodation, the project also brings into beneficial use three Government-owned buildings (two of which are Grade 1 listed) which had become empty and were in danger of falling into disrepair.

Departmental Staff

Mr. Lansley: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what proportion of Cabinet Office Staff at Grade 7 and above are (a) women, (b) from ethnic minorities and (c) disabled. [120027]

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Mr. Stringer: The proportion of Cabinet Office staff at Grade 7 and above who are (a) women is 29 per cent., (b) from ethnic minorities is 2.06 per cent and (c) disabled is 0.3 per cent. Information on whether staff are from an ethnic minority background or are disabled is collected on a voluntary basis.

"Modernising Government"

Mr. Lansley: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if she will publish the departmental action plans for corporate human resource systems intended to follow up the "Modernising Government" White Paper. [120007]

Mr. Ian McCartney: The "Modernising Government" White Paper does not mention departmental action plans for corporate human resource systems.

The White Paper noted that the Government would publish a substantial progress report on modernising the Civil Service later in the year. Sir Richard Wilson's report to the Prime Minister on Civil Service Reform was then published on 15 December 1999.

A progress report covering the whole Civil Service Reform programme will be published in autumn 2000.

Advertising

Mr. Lansley: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how much money was spent on advertising by the Cabinet Office in (a) 1995-96, (b) 1996-97, (c) 1997-98, (d) 1998-99 and (e) 1999-2000. [119974]

Mr. Stringer: The Cabinet Office, including its Agencies, spending on advertising over those years is as follows: (a) £114,145 (b) £222,714 (c) £143,870 (d) £138,400 (e) £262,237.

Expenditure for 1999-2000 does not include advertising by Cabinet Office/Action 2000 on co-ordinating the Millennium Bug Information programmes.

Ministerial Group on Rural Affairs

Mr. Lansley: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if she will list the meetings she has had in pursuance of her role as Chair of the Ministerial Group on Rural Affairs. [119964]

Marjorie Mowlam: Rural issues are discussed during a great many of the meetings I have, including meetings of the Cabinet Committee on Rural Affairs (MISC 8), meetings with national organisations, such as the Council for the Preservation of Rural England and the Countryside Agency, meetings with officials, and meetings with individuals and local organisations in the course of visits.

Civil Service

Mr. Lansley: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if she will list the additional functions to be carried out consequent upon the planned increase in Civil Service staff in her Department between 1999-2000 and 2000-01. [120012]

Mr. Stringer: The planned average manpower figures for my Department and Agencies are detailed in table 6.4 (page 90) of the Cabinet Office's annual report to

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Parliament (The Government's Expenditure Plans 2000-01 to 2001-02) (CM 4618) which was laid before Parliament on 10 April 2000.

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Between the years 1999-2000 and 2000-01 these show the following planned changes to be:

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	1999-2000	2000-01	Change	Percentage
Cabinet Office	1,401	1,457	56	4.0
Security Facilities Division	426	136	-290	-68.1
Centre for Management and Policy Studies	240	284	44	18.3
Government Car and Despatch Agency	305	307	2	0.7
Total	2,372	2,184	-188	-7.9
Central Office of Information	361	400	39	10.8

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The table in the annual report also included information on the Agencies that transferred to the new Office for Government Commerce (HM Treasury) on 1 April.

The reasons for the planned 4 per cent. increase in manpower in the central groups of the Cabinet Office, include:

The establishment of the new Office of the e-Envoy to co-ordinate the Government in leading the UK in its drive to be the best place in the world for e-commerce.

The development of the Regulatory Reform Bill which was announced in the Queen's Speech and published on 18 April 2000.

The need to find ways to reduce the regulatory burden on the public sector. Four key areas have been identified, Criminal Justice, Health (GPs), Education (Schools) and local authorities.

A small additional resource to drive through the Civil Service Reform programme--in particular, a new Mobility Unit to broker interdepartmental moves. The new Senior Adviser on Diversity and Equal Opportunities. And support to the new House of Lords Appointments Commission.

The development of excellence in public sector websites by developing and implementing the Government Website Guidelines under the E-Government Strategy. Including the development and management of the Citizen Portal programme.

Additional policy development work arising from the publication of the E-government strategy and the need to embed its provisions and the development of e-business strategies across government and the wider public sector.

Specialist project management teams to supervise a series of cross-cutting technical projects to be funded by the Capital Modernisation Fund. These projects include the development of gateway and portal facilities to support UK Online and to develop the range of services available and wider interoperability on the Government Secure Intranet business solutions, handling public inquiries and correspondence, IT services, etc.)

More effective support to Cabinet Committee business, and to continue the Cabinet Committee business, and to continue the Cabinet Secretariat's traditional role of supporting policy development by Cabinet and Cabinet Committees.

The reduction of 68 per cent. in the planned manpower at the Security Facilities Division is due to the continued run down of this former Agency. The major reduction is due to the contracting out of the Custody Services, the transfer of Assessment and Development Staff to the Home Office and a reduction in Special Services Group (Operations).

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The Centre for Management and Policy Studies (CMPS) was formed in 1999-2000 and its manpower was only planned to be fully established with the merger of the Civil Service College from 1 April 2000. The new functions provided by CMPS from this year will include:

Ministers' Programmes: the design and delivery of induction and development opportunities for Ministers.

Corporate Development Strategy: the creation and implementation of a strategy for the development of senior civil servants, with an expanded range of programmes.

Departmental Peer Review: reviews of Government departments by external teams of departments.

Policy Seminars: the design and delivery of joint seminars with Ministers and senior officials to examine policy issues.

Policy Evaluation: the identification and promotion of best practice in the construction, development and implementation of policy.

Policy Research: the design and production of 'Knowledge Pools', drawing together the evidence on which policy is based from diverse sources.

Policy Resource Centre: delivering an entry point to a government wide knowledge centre drawing upon departmental resources.

Knowledge Network project; the design and delivery of a system to deliver fast, accurate flows of knowledge, facts and figures on policy across government.

The number of staff are increasing at the Central Office of Information due to significant increases in the volume of work. The numbers of staff reflect the increased business levels over the last two years. Manpower resources have been trailing behind this increase and the forecast for 2000-01 therefore assumes a similar level of increased business.

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