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European Security

Mr. Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how associate members and associate partners of the WEU will participate in European Union decisions and actions in the framework of the European Security and Defence Policy. [122321]

Mr. Vaz: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer he received on 16 May 2000, Official Report, columns 112-13W.

Mr. Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the future of the WEU Assembly. [122322]

19 May 2000 : Column: 306W

Mr. Vaz: The question of parliamentary oversight of European defence is one we must get right in putting into practice the new defence arrangements within the EU. We are still considering the options.

Mr. Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the WEU Assembly proposal to transform the Assembly into a European Security and Defence Assembly. [122320]

Mr. Vaz: The WEU Assembly's Lisbon Initiative has made an important contribution to the discussion of the appropriate parliamentary framework to support the new defence structures.

Angola

Mr. Pike: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the Government's policy is on encouraging another country to offer Jonas Savimbi political asylum and immunity from arrest. [122443]

Mr. Hain: We have not at this stage encouraged any country to offer Savimbi political asylum or immunity from arrest. We do, however, regard Savimbi as the major obstacle to a resolution to the conflict in Angola.

EU Expansion

Mr. Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the EU's policy on the eligibility of Tunisia, Morocco and Libya for membership of the European Union. [122446]

Mr. Vaz: Article 49 of the Treaty on European Union sets out the eligibility criteria for membership of the EU.

Entry Waiting Times (Sub-continent)

Mr. Ian Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 18 April 2000, Official Report, column 414W, on entry waiting times, what plans he has to reduce the waiting times in each queue for entry to the United Kingdom in Islamabad and Dhaka. [122576]

Mr. Vaz: The High Commission in Islamabad has made good progress this year in reducing waiting times. The Post now has a full complement of entry clearance staff, which will be supplemented by additional temporary staff during the busy summer season. New reception arrangements, about to be introduced, should speed the processing of applicants. A high level review team will visit the Post in June to consider working practices.

In Dhaka, one entry clearance officer vacancy is being filled, and two additional entry clearance officer slots have been created. Dhaka will also receive temporary seasonal relief staff.

Ireland

Mr. Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what price was realised by the sale of the Ambassador's Residence in Dublin; and what proportion of this sum has so far been paid. [122954]

Mr. Battle: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Greenock and Inverclyde (Dr. Godman) on 5 May 2000, Official Report,

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column 239W, in respect of the Diplomatic estate in Dublin. Because they are sensitive, it is not our policy to reveal details of price and other terms agreed in such transactions.

I will write to the hon. Member shortly about this matter.

Macedonia (Mr. Richard Hudson)

Mr. Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, further to the answer of 11 April 2000, Official Report, column 112W, on Mr. Richard Hudson, whether drivers working on behalf of KFOR other than Mr. Hudson have been prosecuted for (a) road traffic offences and (b) other offences in Macedonia; and if NATO has offered assistance in their cases. [121577]

Mr. Spellar: I have been asked to reply.

Aside from Mr. Richard Hudson, we are not aware of any cases of civilian contractors (British or otherwise) working for KFOR being charged with any criminal offences by the authorities of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.

Mr. Hudson was working for a company contracted by the British armed forces in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. He was not directly employed by NATO or by KFOR.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Executive Agencies (Performance Targets)

Ms Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what performance targets have been set for the Valuation and Lands Agency in 2000-01. [123403]

Mr. Ingram: For 2000-01 the following key performance targets have been set for the Agency:

Rating Revision Casework
To complete 89 per cent. of rating revision casework within three months of receipt.
Unit Cost
To achieve a Rating Unit Cost of £234 which represents an 8 per cent. reduction in real terms on projected outturn of £247 for 1999-2000.
Rating Valuation Standards
To achieve a standard in all rating valuations such that 90 per cent. of those determined on appeal are within plus or minus 10 per cent. of the initial assessment.
Rating Backdated Certificates
To issue 93 per cent. of certificates for continuous revision cases subject to retrospective backdating within 12 months of the event giving rise to this revision.
Rating Appeal Timeliness
To achieve a turnaround of 15 weeks on average for all rating appeals.
Client Service Level Agreements
To establish baseline performance and set an improvement target for 2001-02 using the new Client Satisfaction Survey information.
Financial Performance
To demonstrate the ability to achieve full cost recovery in respect of Client Services.

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People Development
To achieve Investors in People accreditation by 30 September 2000.

Full details are set out in the Agency's Corporate and Business Plan, copies of which have been placed in the Library of the House.

Ms Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to publish details of the targets for the Northern Ireland Child Support Agency; and if he will make a statement. [123404]

Mr. George Howarth: The Northern Ireland Child Support Agency will publish its 2000-01 Strategic and Business Plan today. Copies will be placed in the Library.

The targets that I have set for the Child Support Agency for 2000-01 are set out:

Case Compliance
That in at least 74 per cent. of cases, non-resident parents are paying child maintenance;
Cash Compliance
That at least 72 per cent. of the total amount of child maintenance which is due for payment is actually being paid;
Accuracy
That the level of maintenance assessed is correct in at least 80 per cent. of all cases checked;
Customer Complaints
That the number of complaints received are reduced to less than 0.1 per cent. of the current caseload;
Customer Service Standards
Payments--that 98 per cent. of payments to the parent with care (or their bank or building society) are made within 10 working days of receipt from the non-resident parent;
Accounts--when requested, the majority of account breakdowns are issued within 40 working days;
Office Interviews--that 98 per cent. of clients are seen within 10 minutes of the time of a pre-booked appointment;
Customer Helpline--that 80 per cent. of telephone calls to the Customer Helpline are answered first time;
Correspondence--that 90 per cent. of letters received are answered within 10 working days of receipt;
Customer Satisfaction--that 95 per cent. of customers surveyed on quality call backs (following contact with Customer Helplines and face to face interviews) are at least satisfied with the service received;
Complaints--that the majority of customer complaints are resolved within 20 working days of receipt; and
Outstanding Work
To be reduced to a prescribed level in all key business areas by 31 March 2001. This target will focus attention on the need to address or eliminate backlogs, which is the key to the delivery of other improvements in performance and to the successful implementation of Child Support Reform.

The targets in the Business Plan present the Agency with a challenging but attainable objective which should lead to improvements both in customer service and performance in the lead-up to Child Support Reform.

Ms Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what performance targets have been set for Construction Service in 2000-01. [123405]

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Mr. Ingram: For 2000-01, the following performance targets have been set for Construction Service:

Quality of Service
1. To achieve a 90 per cent. compliance in customer assessments of Agency performance against Service Level Agreements.
2. To obtain a 95 per cent. satisfaction rate in customer assessments of project work.
3. To place 82 per cent. of orders in response to requests for reactive maintenance work within seven days and to place 95 per cent. within 14 days.
4. To place 76 per cent. of orders in response to requests for supplies work within seven days and to place 95 per cent. within 14 days.
5. To respond to 88 per cent. of customer advisory inquiries within six weeks and to respond to 97 per cent. within 10 weeks.
Efficiency
6. To achieve 3 per cent. efficiency gains on running cost expenditure.
7. To ensure that actual costs as a percentage of agreed target costs on project work do not exceed the agreed percentage.
8. To ensure that staff costs as a percentage of construction spend for maintenance work do not exceed the agreed percentage.
9. To ensure that staff costs as a percentage of construction spend for supplies work do not exceed the agreed percentage.
Financial Performance
10. To maintain expenditure within cash limits and to approved budgetary plans.
11. To recover the full cost of Agency Operations from customers with a tolerance of +2 per cent.

Ms Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what performance targets have been set for 2000-01 for the Northern Ireland Health and Social Services Estates Agency. [123406]

Mr. George Howarth: The targets which have been set for 2000-01 are based on the corporate aims and objectives of the Agency as set out in Section 5 of its Corporate and Business Plan. The targets are in line with the Government's policy of seeking to improve the service provided to clients in terms of both quality and value for money, and I am satisfied that they present a demanding challenge for the Agency. A copy of the Corporate and Business Plan will be placed in the Library.

The targets are as follows:

Delivery of Services
1. Progress the percentage of completed Firecode Audits from 52 per cent. to 73 per cent. of all HSS Trusts, Boards and Agencies by 31 March 2001.
2. Work with Trusts to progress the Government's green agenda and provide an Energy/Environment report for the Minister on the progress the DHSSPS and HPSS are making towards meeting the Government's targets on green issues by November 2000.
3. Assess and advise the Department on 65 per cent. of capital investment business case submissions within 20 working days, subject to a maximum 24 business cases per annum.

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4. Provide the consultation draft of the Review of the Key Management Document in the Firecode suite 'Policy and Principles' by March 2001.
5. 82 per cent. of clients to regard the Agency's Client Support and Project Management Services as satisfactory or better in respect of:
Two projects being procured by the PFI/PPP process with an estimated capital value of £60 million.
Preparation and completion of one outline Business Case with an estimated value of £3.7 million.
Management of one project during the design stage with an estimated capital value of £16.6 million.
The completion of the tendering and contract award stages of three projects with an estimated capital value of £2.1 million.
Five projects during the construction/completion stages with an estimated capital value of £136.75 million.
6. Complete testing and issue Test Reports to the Authorised Person for 90 per cent. of periodic specialist sterilizer equipment tests within six weeks of the programme test commencement date and the remainder within 10 weeks, subject to a maximum requested for this service of 600 man days.
7. Complete 95 per cent. of inspections, acceptance testing and issue of request for inspection by Radiation Protection Advisor (Medical Physics Agency) of diagnostic equipment within four weeks of written request and remainder within 10 weeks.
8. Complete 95 per cent. laboratory equipment acceptance tests and mains analysis tests and issue report within four weeks of written requests and remainder within 10 weeks.
9. Complete 80 per cent. of environmental monitoring tests within six weeks of the agreed test date and the remainder within 10 weeks.
10. Complete 95 per cent. of the initial evaluations for Diagnostic Imaging Equipment Projects within four weeks of receipt of written request and the remainder within 10 weeks. Complete Diagnostic Imaging Equipment Projects within 10 months of clients providing their instructions to proceed.
Financial Management
11. Ensure that the Agency lives within its running cost allocation and demonstrates that its full costs are recovered, on a notional basis, through Service Level Agreements with clients.

Ms Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what performance targets have been set for the Land Registers of Northern Ireland in 2000-01. [123407]

Mr. Ingram: For 2000-01, the following performance targets have been set for LRNI:

1. To achieve a customer satisfaction rate, measured against complaints, of at least 98.5 per cent.
2. To achieve a registration accuracy rate of at least 98.5 per cent.
3. To process regular Land Registry dealings in an average of 20 days.
4. To process regular Registry of Deeds dealings in an average of 10 days.
5. To process regular Statutory Charges Registry dealings in an average of 15 days.
6. To process pre-completion land information applications in an average of five days.
7. To achieve a weighted unit cost target of £22.3 (net of PFI costs) and £31.5 (inclusive of PFI costs).
8. To process 130 application units per member of staff per month.
9. To cover Agency costs out of fee income.

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