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WALES

Statutory Instruments

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many statutory instruments have been (a) introduced, (b) removed and (c) amended by his Department since 1 January; and what the (i) cost and (ii) saving has been in each case. [64627]

Mr. Paul Murphy: Since 1 January my Department has introduced three statutory instruments, revoked none, and amended one. Costs and savings are not readily available.

Building Value

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the buildings owned by his Department and estimate the market value of each of them. [66945]

Mr. Paul Murphy: The National Asset Register, published in July 2001 (Cm5221), lists assets owned by each Department and their valuation.

Sunderland Commission

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had with Welsh Assembly Government colleagues concerning the Sunderland Commission. [71770]

Mr. Paul Murphy: I have regular discussions with Assembly Ministers about a range of matters affecting Wales.

The Sunderland Commission was established by the Assembly. It is therefore for the Assembly initially to respond to its recommendations.

Assembly Finance Minister, Edwina Hart has announced that there will be a wide consultation, over the summer and early autumn, on all the Commission's recommendations.

Information Campaigns

Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much his Department spent on information literature, advertising and campaign material in financial year 2001–02; if he will list the campaigns that spent over £250,000; and if he will make a statement. [70208]

Mr. Paul Murphy: I refer to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Buckingham (Mr. Bercow) on 15 April 2002, Official Report, column 752W.

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Departmental Press Office

Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many (a) full time equivalents were employed by his press office and (b) secondees were placed in his press office in the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [70543]

Mr. Paul Murphy: My Department is staffed entirely by secondees. Since the establishment of the Wales Office on 1 July 1999 it has employed three press officers.

CABINET OFFICE

IT Procurements

Geraint Davies: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the Government policy is on the use of open source software to enable increased value for money in IT procurements across the public sector. [72633]

Mr. Alexander: This Government are intent on securing the best value for money in its IT procurements by encouraging the development of a flourishing IT industry which supplies both proprietary and open source software solutions to the public sector. Government procurement decisions will be based on the ability of the solutions to deliver effective and economic systems and services.

I am pleased to announce new policy on the use of open source software within UK Government. It explains how we will consider open source software solutions alongside proprietary ones in IT procurements and award contracts on a value for money basis, seeking to avoid lock-in to proprietary IT products and services. In addition, the UK Government will consider obtaining full rights to bespoke software code or customisations of COTS (Commercial Off the Shelf) software it procures, wherever this achieves best value for money. It will also explore further the possibilities of using OSS as the default exploitation route for Government-funded R&D software.

The open source software policy has been formulated for use within UK Government because we seek to embrace the fast moving pace of the software industry and to acknowledge the clear potential for open source software to change the software infrastructure marketplace. It also serves as an appropriate response to the recent European Commission's Action Plan for the initiative eEurope—an information society for all. UK Government, in joining with its European partners to explore the availability of open source software solutions, will seek to realise the significant potential for cost-savings in the future and to achieve an increased flexibility in the development, enhancement and integration of our IT systems.

Centre for Management and Policy Studies

Mr. Gareth Thomas: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office when he will publish the annual report and accounts for the Centre for Management and Policy Studies. [72617]

Mr. Alexander: I have today placed copies of the second annual report and accounts for the Centre for Management and Policy Studies for the year 1 April 2001 to 31 March 2002 in the Libraries of the House.

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The report and accounts show that financial targets have been met. The quality targets were met, and in some cases, exceeded. The volume targets for participants in training and development were exceeded in the aggregate.

The changes to Cabinet Office announced by Sir Andrew Turnbull, and presently being implemented in advance of his arrival in September, will have a significant effect on CMPS as an organisation.

Executive Agencies

Mr. Dismore: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the outcome is of the review of policy towards executive agencies. [72632]

Mr. Alexander: The Government have today published the report of the review which was jointly sponsored by the Cabinet Office and the Treasury. Pam Alexander led the review.

The review has far-reaching implications for improving the delivery of central Government services. It concludes that the agency model has been a success in improving, and in some cases transforming, services and functions delivered by central Government and has brought customer focus and a performance culture into the civil service. However, it find that agencies have in some cases become detached from Ministers and from Departments' increasing focus on strategic aims; controls over processes have reduced effectiveness and responsiveness without providing a shared strategic direction

The report makes 12 recommendations to achieve and maintain strategic connection and improve service delivery. These include:

departmental leadership which values equally policy and delivery skills and agency management with a clear understanding of ministerial objectives;


simpler governance structures providing strategic direction from Departments and external challenge from non-executive directors on management boards;


alignment of departmental and agency key targets and a cycle of reviews to ensure that structures and processes across Departments support the achievement of key objectives; and


maximum use of financial and managerial delegations to support responsive, flexible and effective delivery.

The Cabinet Office and Treasury will be working with Departments to put the review's recommendations into effect over the coming months as part of the wider drive to improve the effectiveness of public services and place a culture of delivery at the heart of Government.

Copies of the review's report and recommendations have been placed in the Libraries of the House.

E-Government

Dr. Cable: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what research has been carried out to assess the level of (a) awareness in the population analysed by socio- economic group, (b) usage by the population analysed by socio-economic group, (c) repeat usage by the population and (d) satisfaction of users with respect to the website www.ukonline.gov.uk; and what the findings were. [70520]

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Mr. Alexander: I refer the hon. Member to the answer my hon. Friend the Member for Shipley (Mr. Leslie) gave to the hon. Member for Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale (Mr. Moore) on 20 May 2002, Official Report, column 55W.

Dr. Cable: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the budget is for the website www.ukonline.gov.uk in respect of (a) site development and maintenance, (b) marketing and (c) other matters for the financial years (i) 2002–03 and (ii) 2003–04. [70522]

Mr. Alexander: I refer the hon. Member to the answer my hon. Friend the Member for Shipley (Mr. Leslie) gave to the hon. Member for Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale (Mr. Moore) on 23 May 2002, Official Report, column 484W.

Dr. Cable: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how much has been spent on the website www.ukonline.gov.uk for (a) design and build prior to launch, (b) development and maintenance since launch, (c) marketing, (d) other and (e) the project in total in each of the financial years since the inception of the project. [70519]

Mr. Alexander: I refer the hon. Member to the answer my hon. Friend the Member for Shipley (Mr. Leslie), gave the hon. Member for Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale (Mr. Moore) on 23 May 2002, Official Report, column 484W.

Dr. Cable: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what estimate he has made of the savings which have arisen for each Government Department as a result of the website www.ukonline.gov.uk [70521]

Mr. Alexander: I refer the hon. Member to the answer my hon. Friend the Member for Shipley (Mr. Leslie) gave to the hon. Member for Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale (Mr. Moore) on 20 May 2002, Official Report, column 54W.

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