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Performance Targets

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if the PSA target for efficiency and other value for money gains in Departmental operations of 2.5 per cent was met in (a) 1999–2000 and (b) 2000–01. [47281]

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Mr. Hutton [holding answer Wednesday 10 April 2002]: Information about progress on meeting this PSA target in was published in the Department's 2001 Departmental Report, a copy of which is in the Library. This recorded that we were on course to deliver the target.

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he had made of whether the target to bring sickness absence levels down to 6.8 days per staff year by 2003 will be met. [47361]

Mr. Hutton [holding answer 10 April 2002]: Information about progress on PSA targets will be published in the Department's 2002 Departmental Report.

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many auditors have been trained since April 2001 in pursuit of the Service Delivery Agreement target to protect consumers through improved food safety and standards. [49241]

Yvette Cooper: The targets published in the 2000 spending review delivery agreement were achieved. By April 2001, 6 auditors in England, 3 in Scotland and 2 in Northern Ireland were trained to audit local authorities. Since April 2001, 1 auditor has been trained in Wales and a further 2 auditors have been trained in England, with a further 2 to be trained during 2002–2003. More will be trained as the programme of audits requires.

Departmental Report

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the 2002 Departmental report will be published. [49584]

Mr. Hutton: The 2002 Departmental Reports will be published in spring 2002. The dates will be announced shortly.

NHS Direct

Mr. Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what is the average time it takes to get through to NHS Direct over the last month for which figures are available. [46715]

Mr. Hutton [holding reply 10 April 2002]: The information requested is not collected centrally. However, the average time it takes for NHS Direct to answer the telephone is approximately thirty seconds after the confidentiality message finishes.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Parliamentary Questions

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister (1) how many staff were involved in each of the last three years in preparing draft answers to written parliamentary questions; [49144]

Mr. Leslie: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by my right hon. Friend the member for Livingston on 17 April 2002, Official Report, column 929W.

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Performance Targets

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the target has been in each of the last five years for efficiency savings as a percentage of total running costs for each of the non-departmental public bodies for which he is responsible; and if the target was met. [49637]

Mr. Leslie: Details of the Equal Opportunities Commission's expenditure and accounts are published in their combined annual report and accounts, which is available in the Library of the House. Efficiency savings for my Department's Advisory NDPBs are those applicable to the Department as a whole.

Consultation Documents

Dr. Iddon: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many of its consultation documents published in 2001 in electronic or printed form the Cabinet Office has monitored and evaluated in accordance with its Code of Practice on Written Consultations. [49952]

Mr. Leslie: All five Cabinet Office consultation documents published in 2001 that are subject to the Code of Practice were monitored to ensure compliance with the Code. No evaluation of the consultations has been undertaken so far.

The Cabinet Office's Centre for Management and Policy Studies is developing a "consultation toolkit" to help officials within the Cabinet Office and throughout central government consult more effectively. It will include a section on evaluation.

Dr. Iddon: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister which consultation documents published by the Cabinet Office in 2001 were not made available as paper copies. [49951]

Mr. Leslie: All five Cabinet Office consultation documents published in 2001 that are subject to the Code of Practice were made available as paper copies.

Dr. Iddon: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister in respect of which of its consultation documents published in 2001 in electronic or printed form the Cabinet Office allowed less than the recommended minimum 12 weeks' consultation period; and what explanation for this departure from the Code of Practice on Written Consultations was given. [49950]

Mr. Leslie: None of the five Cabinet Office UK national public consultation documents published in 2001 that are subject to the Code of Practice allowed less than a 12-week consultation period.

Dr. Iddon: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister which mechanisms the Cabinet Office uses for monitoring and evaluating the quality of its consultation documents in electronic and printed form. [49953]

Mr. Leslie: The Cabinet Office Consultation Co-ordinator monitors departmental consultations that are subject to the Code of Practice and advises officials on compliance when required. The Cabinet Office's Centre for Management and Policy Studies is developing a "consultation toolkit" to help officials within the Cabinet Office and throughout central government consult more effectively. It will include a section on evaluation.

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Dr. Iddon: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many complaints the Cabinet Office has received about its 2001 consultations in electronic or printed form. [49947]

Mr. Leslie: Two complaints were received and responded to in relation to one of the five Cabinet Office consultation documents published in 2001 that are subject to the Code of Practice.

Dr. Iddon: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if the Cabinet Office has published the results of all its 2001 written consultations in electronic or printed form. [49948]

Mr. Leslie: Results have been published for one of the five Cabinet Office consultations published in 2001 that were subject to the Code of Practice. Results have been published both in print and electronic form, for the consultation on "The Future of Emergency Planning in England and Wales" (August 2001). Details are available from the House of Commons library and on the Civil Contingency Unit's website at www.ukresilience.info.

Information on the results for the four other Cabinet Office consultations is as follows:

Young Runaways (March 2001)

The formal written consultation was part of a wider consultation process that included field visits, internationally and in England, as well as further consultation with young people through focus groups. The written consultation replies will be reflected in the final report to be published in Autumn 2002 on the Social Exclusion Unit website at www.socialexclusionunit. gov.uk.

Raising the Educational Attainment of Children in Care (July 2001)

The analysis of responses will be published on the Internet as part of the project's "Knowledge Pool", which is due to be launched on 23 April 2002. The Knowledge Pool will be on the Cabinet Office's Social Exclusion Unit website at www.socialexclusionunit.gov.uk.

Transport and Social Exclusion July 2001

The results of the consultation will be published in the Summer on the Social Exclusion website at www.socialexclusionunit.gov.uk.

Licensing of Crown Copyright (HMSO—Cabinet Office Agency) (October 2001)

The results will be published on the HMSO's website at www.hmso.gov.ukonce the analysis of responses is complete.

Dr. Iddon: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister which Government departments and agencies have appointed designated consultation co-ordinators in accordance with the Cabinet Office Code of Practice on Written Consultations. [49955]

Mr. Leslie: The following departments and agencies have appointed designated consultation co-ordinators: Main Departments


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