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Performance Targets

Tony Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list the performance targets that her Department, its agencies and non-departmental public bodies are required to meet, apart from those set out in the public service agreements for 1999 to 2002 and 2001 to 2004; and if she will specify for each target (a) who sets it and (b) who monitors achievement against it. [60461]

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Ms Hewitt: Information on the Department's targets and priorities—including those in its Public Service and Service Delivery Agreements (both available on the Department's website)—and on how the Department is working towards them is contained in its annual Expenditure Plans Report, the next edition of which is to be published later this month covering 2002 to 2003–04. The targets are monitored as appropriate by the Department's Executive Board and Group Management Boards.

The performance of the Department's Executive non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) are set out in the individual NDPB's annual reports, copies of which are available in the Libraries of the House (the first annual reports by the Gas and Electricity Consumer Council and the Consumer Council for Postal Services will be available in the Libraries of the House in the summer). Key performance targets are agreed by the Department and achievement against them is monitored by the relevant sponsor directorate within the Department. Ministers are currently considering with the nine regional development agencies a range of new targets for their single budget which will be finalised with the agencies later this year.

I have asked the chief executives of the Department's agencies to write direct to the hon. Member.

Letter from Roger Heathcote to Mr. Tony Wright, dated 11 July 2002:

You tabled a Parliamentary Question on 24 May to Patricia Hewitt, Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, asking for the performance targets that her Department, its agencies and non-departmental public bodies are required to meet, apart from those set out in the public service agreements for 1999 to 2002 and 2001 to 2004. You also asked, for each target, (a) who sets it and (b) who monitors achievement against it. I have been asked to reply in respect of the Employment Tribunals Service (ETS), which is an executive agency of the DTI.

My Agency is currently required to meet the following targets:

(i) To bring 75% of single Employment Tribunal cases to a first hearing within 26 weeks of receipt.

(ii) Each office to achieve a minimum of 65% in relation to the above target.

(iii) To issue 85% of Employment Tribunal decisions within 4 weeks of the final hearing.

(iv) To achieve 85% of Employment Tribunal users being satisfied with the service offered by the ETS.

(v) To have 90% of appeals to the Employment Appeal Tribunal registered for a preliminary hearing ready for listing within six weeks.

All of the above targets are approved by DTI Ministers following consideration at a meeting of the ETS Steering Board.

Performance against all of the above targets is monitored by the ETS Management Board, by the Internal Auditors of the Department of Trade and Industry, by the ETS Audit Committee, by the Steering Board, by the National Audit Office and by Ministers.

After agreement with Ministers, the targets are set out in the ETS Annual Report and Accounts. This report is laid before Parliament before the summer recess, prior to publication by the Stationery Office and electronically on the ETS website www.ets.gov.uk.

Letter from Alison Brimelow to Mr. Tony Wright, dated 11 July 2002:

I am replying to this Parliamentary Question, tabled on 24 May 2002, to the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, about the performance targets of the Department, its agencies and non-departmental public bodies are required to meet, apart from

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those set out in the public service agreements for 1999 to 2002 and 2001 to 2004. You also asked for details about who sets the targets and who monitors the performance against them.

The Patent Office is responsible for the establishment and maintenance of the national framework of intellectual property rights (patents, designs, trade marks and copyright).

The agency targets are set by the Minister, Melanie Johnson and are published in the Patent Office Corporate Plan, and Annual Report and Accounts. The agency targets for 2002–03 were announced by the Secretary of State in Parliament on Wednesday 20 March 2002 (Hansard reference column: 365W). The performance against these targets are checked by internal audit and I am accountable to the Minister for the performance of the Patent Office.

Customer Service Standards have been set by the Patent Office and are published in the Annual Report and on our website. The performance against these standards are monitored monthly and reported to our Steering Board.

The Patent Office provides secretariat support for the new Intellectual Property Advisory Committee (IPAC). The role of this committee is to give the Minister and officials advice on identifying strategic issues within the intellectual property arena. Their first Annual Report is due to be published in the Autumn.

Letter from Mike Goddard to Mr. Tony Wright, dated 11 July 2002:

The Secretary of State for Trade and Industry has asked me to reply to your Question concerning performance targets for my Agency, excluding those set out in Public Service Agreements.

The Agency has a series of annual published quality of service targets, covering our licensing and enforcement activities, and correspondence. The targets are prepared as part of the Agency's Corporate plan, are endorsed by our Steering Board, and are approved by Ministers. They are announced formally by PQ, and those for the current financial year were announced on 26 March 2002 and recorded in columns 809–10W of the House of Commons Official Report.

Performance is monitored by the Department and our Steering Board. It is reported in our Annual Report and Accounts, which are audited by the National Audit Office, and in the Expenditure Plans Report produced by the Department.

Letter from Claire Clancy to Mr. Tony Wright, dated 11 July 2002:

I am responding to your recent Parliamentary Question about Departmental performance targets on behalf of Companies House, which is Executive Agency of the Department of Trade and Industry.

The targets for Companies House are agreed and set by Ministers, announced in Parliament by means of a Parliamentary Question, and published in the Companies House Business Plan. As Chief Executive, I am accountable to the Minister responsible for Companies House (the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Competition, Consumers and Markets, Melanie Johnson, M.P.). Companies House's performance against the targets is monitored by the DTI and published in our Annual Report and Accounts.

The current targets are listed in the attached Annex and I hope that this will provide you with the information you require.

Companies House Executive Agency—Targets 2002–03

Operational Targets

To process 99% of statutory documents within 5 days of receipt at Companies House.

To achieve, on average, a monthly compliance rate for accounts submitted of 95%.

To ensure that 96% of all forms submitted to Companies House are captured error free.

To ensure that 98% of all images placed on the Companies House image system are error free.

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Questions delegated to the Chief Executive

The Chief Executive to reply within 10 days to all letters from Members of Parliament delegated to her for reply.

Customer Service and Complaints Handling

To ensure that products and services on Companies House Direct are available for 98% of the time between the supported hours of 7am and 8pm, Monday to Friday.

To ensure that products and services on the Companies House website are available for 98% of the time between the supported hours of 7am and 8pm, Monday to Friday.

To achieve a score of more than 80% in each quarterly Companies House Customer Satisfaction Survey.

To clear up 90% of complaints within five days.

Financial Targets

To maintain a unit cost reduction of 3% in real terms on documentation registration.

To achieve, taking one year with another, a 6% average rate of return based on the operating surplus expressed as a percentage of average net assets.

To pay all bills due within 30 days, or other agreed credit terms, on receipt of goods or services or a valid invoice whichever is later.

Letter from Dr. J. W. Llewellyn to Mr. Tony Wright, dated 11 July 2002:

The Secretary of State for Trade and Industry has asked me to reply on behalf of the National Weights and Measures Laboratory (NWML) to your question about the performance targets that the Agency is required to meet, apart from those set out in the public service agreements for 1999 to 2002 and 2001 to 2004; and to specify for each target (a) who sets it and (b) who monitors achievement against it.

Each year DTI Ministers approve a corporate plan submitted by the Chief Executive of the National Weights and Measures Laboratory. The plan includes a basket of performance targets that cover operational, financial and efficiency issues. Ministers publicise their approval by means of an arranged Parliamentary Question. The Agency is required to report performance against the targets in the Annual Report and Accounts presented each year to Parliament. In year monitoring is the responsibility of the Agency and the Finance and Resource Management Directorate of DTI.

The performance targets for 2001–02 were subject to a PQ on 18 July 2001 and performance against those targets will be published in the 2001–02 Annual Report and Accounts in the next couple of months. A list of targets is attached at Annex A.

The corporate plan and performance targets for 2002–03 are currently being considered by DTI Ministers.

Summary of Ministerial Targets—2001–02

To report a break-even situation in the Income and Expenditure Account for 2001–02.

To meet the Agency's net vote target in 2001–02.

To contribute to continuous efficiency improvement by ensuring that total overhead costs are less than 55% of total costs.

To satisfy all its customers as demonstrated by at least 95% of them rating NWML's provision of services as satisfactory or better.

To meet the expectations of its customers by completing at least 90% of European type approvals within 10 weeks.

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To complete European type approvals within an average of 6 weeks.

To complete calibration jobs within the time requested by customers, with at least 95% of all jobs (including preparation of certificates) completed within 18 working days of acceptance of the work and an average completion time of less than 14 days.

To complete the National Measurement System (NMS) legal metrology programme, and achieve 72% of the milestones in the programme by their due dates.

To achieve continuous growth in its non-DTI income, with an increase of 7.5% in 2001–02.

Chief Executive to reply within 10 working days to all letters from Members of Parliament delegated to him for reply.

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