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Written Answers to Questions
Wednesday 17 October 2001
DEFENCE
Defence Vetting Agency
Syd Rapson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what key targets have been set for the Defence Vetting Agency for the financial year 2001–02. [8604]
Mr. Ingram: The Defence Vetting Agency carries out security vetting checks on people employed by the Ministry of Defence, by certain other Government Departments, and by defence contractors. Since 1997, the agency has been involved in an ambitious modernisation programme to create a responsive, efficient organisation that will exploit the capabilities of modern information technology to the benefit of its customers. This is the second year of major change for the agency. During this financial year a collocation programme, which involved the closure of its London and regional offices and the setting up of an integrated organisation in York, will be completed and a number of other initiatives to improve efficiency and responsiveness will also be progressed. It is expected that performance will be depressed while those changes take place. The chief executive has been set the following key targets:
- Quality
- Key Target 1:
- At least a 95 per cent. success rate in dealing with specially selected cases and zero serious errors.
- Timeliness
- Key Target 2
- To complete 69 per cent. of security checks within 42 days.
- Key Target 3:
- To complete 61 per cent. of counter terrorist checks within 42 days.
- Key Target 4:
- To complete 90 per cent. of developed vetting within 182 days.
- Key Target 5:
- To achieve average completion times of 33 days for security checks, 32 days for counter terrorist checks and 105 days for developed vetting.
- Efficiency
- Key Target 6:
- To maintain the unit cost of output.
I will place copies of the corporate plan in the Library of the House.
Medical Agencies
Mr. Anthony D. Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been made with the quinquennial review of the medical agencies; and if he will make a statement. [8603]
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Dr. Moonie: I am pleased to say that the review team have completed the first phase of its studies. As indicated in my written answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Gedling (Vernon Coaker) of 15 December 2000, Official Report, column 275W, the team has covered medical arrangements for personnel in Germany and Northern Ireland; and the interrelationships between primary and secondary care as well as the functions and organisation of the Ministry of Defence's four medical agencies—the Defence Secondary Care Agency, the Defence Dental Agency, the Defence Medical Training Organisation and the Medical Supplies Agency.
I have endorsed the broad lines of the review team's report on the first phase of its studies and have agreed a package of further work to underpin and confirm its provisional conclusions. A paper summarising the main features of the team's initial report and the phase 2 work, which will take place between now and the end of the year, is being placed in the Library of the House. As the paper indicates, this further work will result in a detailed report which will form the basis of full consultation.
CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT
Foot and Mouth
Mr. Borrow: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when she will publish the Government's response to the Culture, Media and Sport Committee's report "Tourism—the Hidden Giant—and Foot and Mouth". [8602]
Dr. Howells: The Department's response to the Culture, Media and Sport Committee's report on "Tourism—the Hidden Giant—and Foot and Mouth" has been laid before both Houses today.
National Lottery
Mr. Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans she has to publish a response to the First report from the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee, Session 2000–01, on the operation of the national lottery. [8826]
Mr. Caborn: The Department's response to the Culture, Media and Sport Committee's report on the operation of the national lottery has been laid before both Houses today.
Departmental Spending
Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the total amount of spending by her Department was in each nation and region of the UK, in the last year for which figures are available; what proportion of her Department's total spending this constitutes; and if she will make a statement. [6779]
Tessa Jowell: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Chief Secretary to the Treasury to the hon. Member for Banff and Buchan (Mr. Salmond) on 15 October 2001, Official Report, columns 454–56W.
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TRADE AND INDUSTRY
Departmental Spending
Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the total expenditure was on (a) advertising, (b) polling, (c) focus groups, (d) design consultants, (e) caterers, (f) production of departmental publications and (g) photographs/photograhers by her Department for each year since 1995 in (i) cash and (ii) real terms; what was (A) the annual percentage increase in spending on each category and (B) spending on each category as a percentage of the total departmental running costs; and if she will make a statement. [6882]
Ms Hewitt: Excluding its agencies and non- departmental public bodies, the total cash expenditure on publishing, preparation and production of those official publications, which have been notified to the Department's publications unit by individual budget holders, is as follows:
| Year | Cash (£) | Real (1995 prices) (£) | Per cent. increase in real terms from previous year | Spending as per cent. of total running costs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995–96 | 5,463,340 | 5,463,340 | n/a | 1.2 |
| 1996–97 | 5,176,892 | 5,011,512 | -8.3 | 1.2 |
| 1997–98 | 4,886,238 | 4,596,649 | -8.3 | 1.2 |
| 1998–99 | 7,208,674 | 6,583,264 | 43.2 | 1.7 |
| 1999–2000 | 4,552,019 | 4,064,303 | -38.3 | 1.0 |
| 2000–01 | 5,298,296 | 4,647,628 | 14.4 | 1.1 |
These figures exclude the costs of publications produced for internal use. Where the Department makes use of a private sector publisher, the publishing, printing and design costs are generally met by the publisher as part of its acceptance of the risks of publication.
The Department does not routinely collect the other information requested at the required level of detail, and to provide it would entail disproportionate cost.
TRANSPORT, LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND
THE REGIONS
Vehicle Accidents
Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many people in the last three years for which figures are available, in (a) mid-Essex and (b) the county of Essex (i) have died and (ii) have been injured as a result of vehicle accidents. [7168]
Mr. Jamieson [holding answer 15 October 2001]: Deaths and injuries on public roads in accidents which involved a road vehicle are shown in the table for the County of Essex and for the areas covered by the local authorities Braintree District and Chelmsford Borough.
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| Braintree District & Chelmsford Borough | County of Essex | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Killed | Injured | Killed | Injured | |
| 1998 | 15 | 1,558 | 84 | 9,052 |
| 1999 | 23 | 1,646 | 112 | 9,123 |
| 2000 | 20 | 1,555 | 86 | 9,462 |
Planning Appeals
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (1) how many appeals against planning decisions made by Fareham borough council were outstanding at (a) 31 December 1998, (b) 31 December 1999, (c) 31 December 2000 and (d) 30 June 2001; [6270]
- (2) how many appeals there were in respect of planning applications made in the area covered by Fareham borough council in (a) 1998, (b) 1999 and (c) 2000. [6269]
Ms Keeble [holding answer 15 October 2001]: The provision of information on planning appeals is the responsibility of the Planning Inspectorate. I have asked the Inspectorate's Chief Executive, Mr. Chris Shepley, to write to the hon. Member.
Letter from C. J. Shepley to Mr. Mark Hoban, dated 17 October 2001:
- The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your Questions about planning appeals in the Fareham Borough Council area.
- The number of planning appeals received and in hand at the end of each year were:
| Year | Appeals received | Appeals in hand at end of period |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 48 | 16 |
| 1999 | 47 | 13 |
| 2000 | 48 | 21 |
There were 16 appeals in hand at 30 June 2001.
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