14 Apr 2003 : Column 41WS
Written Ministerial Statements Monday 14 April 2003
CABINET OFFICE
Crown Copyright Advisory Panel
The Minister of State, Cabinet Office (Mr. Douglas Alexander): I can today announce the appointment of Professor Richard Susskind as the first Chair of the Advisory Panel on Crown Copyright.
Professor Susskind OBE holds law professorships at Gresham College, London and the Centre for Law, Computers and Technology at Strathclyde University. He is IT adviser to the Lord Chief Justice of England, and independent consultant to professional firms and author.
The panel is a new non-departmental public body recommended by the Cross-Cutting Review of the Knowledge Economy. It is charged with advising Ministers strategically on how to open up opportunities for greater re-use of Government information by the private and voluntary sectors of the economy, and advising the Controller of Her Majesty's Stationery Office (HMSO) about changes and opportunities in the information industry. The panel will also monitor the impact of complaints procedures under the Information Fair Trader Scheme.
The interests of the devolved Administrations will also be represented on the panel.
Further appointments will be announced in the usual way with the issue of a press notice.
TREASURY
UK Debt Management Office
The Financial Secretary to the Treasury (Ruth Kelly): The Debt Management Office (DMO) is today publishing its Business Plan for 2003–04. The DMO's targets for 2003–04 are set out in the Business Plan, together with a brief commentary on last year's outturn in relation to the comparable target. Copies are available in the Library of the House.
Public Service Agreement Targets
The Chief Secretary to the Treasury (Mr. Boateng): In the Spending Review White Paper "2002 Spending Review: Public Service Agreements 2003–06" (Cm 5571), the Government undertook to introduce regular web-based reporting of progress against the new PSA targets.
This website was launched today, and is accessible at http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/performance/
The website will be updated regularly to reflect new information.
14 Apr 2003 : Column 42WS
TRANSPORT
Strategic Rail Authority
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport (Mr. David Jamieson): We have today issued a revised Financial Framework to the SRA in accordance with paragraph 16 of Schedule 14 to the Transport Act 2000. This was agreed with the Authority and supersedes both the Financial Framework and Management Statement issued in January 2001. Copies have been placed in the Libraries of the House.
TRADE AND INDUSTRY
Small Business Service
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (Nigel Griffiths): The Government published in December a new policy framework for small business—"Small Business and Government—the Way Forward". This focuses on seven core themes. These will be implemented across government. It also sets out a leadership role for the Small Business Service (SBS) as a centre of expertise, an innovator and an engine for change within government.
I have set the following targets for the year 2003–04:
Building an Enterprise Culture
- Build a comprehensive, cross-government strategy to support an enterprise culture by January 2004.
Encouraging a More Dynamic Start Up Market
Run Enterprise Shows in at least five regions by January 2004 to help people who are keen to start a business
Building the Capability for Small Business Growth
Hard research of factors which determine a small business's capability to grow and publish a "capabilities for growth" cross-government strategy.
Improving Access to Finance for Small Business
Implement the new grant for research and development—the successor to SMART
Support 700 projects under the new scheme
Pilot a new grant for "innovation capability"
Improve the availability of small business finance, including the roll out of the Early Growth Funding programme and all the Regional Venture Capital Funds.
- Reduce the gap between VAT registrations in the 20 per cent. most deprived local authority wards and the 20 per cent. least deprived wards by 1 per cent.
Launch new Phoenix Development Fund Building-on-the-Best projects by December 2003.
- Roll out the DTI's new business support portfolio using Business Link as a face-to-face, telephone and web site service, as the main means by which businesses access DTI's products and services.
14 Apr 2003 : Column 43WS
Increase the market penetration of Business Link by 6 to 22 per cent. and the customer satisfaction rate by 5 to 87 per cent.
Evaluate the three RDA-led business support pilots in the North West, West Midlands and East Midlands, providing an initial comparison of participating and non-participating regions, by January 2004.
- Publish and promote the No-Nonsense Guide to Government rules and regulations for setting up your business in print and via the web by April 2003.
Draw up an action plan with other departments to deliver significant improvements in government's performance in relation to the regulatory environment for small business for publication by November 2003.
Organisation And People
Work towards securing formal Investors in People recognition by June 2004.
CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT
BBC Online
The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Tessa Jowell): My Department has today written to the BBC to confirm a timetable for the independent review of BBC Online. The BBC is preparing a full statement about the Online approval and its own detailed assessment of performance against this. The report will be submitted to the Department by the end of June 2003, and will then be available to the independent reviewer, or reviewers, whom I expect to have appointed by that time.
I will set detailed terms of reference for the independent review, which will include a public consultation, once the appointment of a reviewer has been made. These will, however, include a review of the service against the approval given and, to contribute to the coming process of BBC Charter review, an assessment of market impact together with an analysis of the role of BBC Online as part of the BBC's overall service.
HOME DEPARTMENT
United Kingdom Passport Service
The Minister for Citizenship and Immigration (Beverley Hughes): The UK Passport Service Corporate and Business Plan 2003–08 has been published today and copies of the plan have been placed in the Library.
14 Apr 2003 : Column 44WS
WORK AND PENSIONS
Performance Targets and Business Plans
The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Mr. Andrew Smith): I am today able to announce the annual performance targets in 2003–04 for the Pension Service, the Appeals Service and Jobcentre Plus, three of the Departments for Work and Pensions' Executive Agencies. I shall announce annual performance targets for the Child Support Agency shortly. The targets I have agreed are set out below.
Further information on the plans of each of these agencies in 2003–04 is contained in their individual business plans, which have been published today alongside the Jobcentre Plus Performance and Resource Agreement. Copies have been placed in the Library.
I am also able to announce the annual performance targets in 2003–04 for the Disability and Carers Directorate, the business unit within the Department for Work and Pensions which is responsible for disability rights and for the delivery of disability and carers benefits. The key targets which I have agreed for the Directorate are also set out below. Further information on the plans of the Directorate in 2003–04 is contained in its business plan, which has also been published today. Copies have been placed in the Library.
Waiting times The average waiting time for an appeal to be heard will be no more than 13 weeks from the time of receipt by the Appeals Service. 1
The number of cases over 24 weeks old as at 1 April 2003, will be reduced by at least 15 per cent. by 31 March 2004.
For cases returned by the Commissioner, the average waiting time for an appeal to be re-heard will be no more than 10 weeks from the date of return to the Appeals Service. 2
The range of waiting time variations between local offices will be reduced by a factor of 5 per cent.
1 Excludes stayed cases awaiting decision in lead cases in a higher court (the effective date will commence from withdrawal of stay being notified).
2 Excludes cases requiring further evidence.
Pay Pension Credit to at least 2.4 million pensioner households by April 2004.
Pay the guarantee element of Pension Credit to at least 1.9 million pensioner households by April 2004.
14 Apr 2003 : Column 45WS
Convert all Minimum Income Guarantee recipients to Pension Credit by the beginning of October 2003.
Reduce losses as a result of fraud and error to no more than 4 per cent. of benefit paid.
Ensure that 88 per cent. of calls to The Pension Service Pension Centres are answered by Customer agents and that no more than 1 per cent. of attempted calls receive an engaged tone or message.
Achieve a Pension Credit accuracy rate of 94 per cent.
Achieve a Retirement Pension claims accuracy rate of 98 per cent.
Helping people into work To achieve a total points score of 7,681,000 based on the job entry outcomes Jobcentre Plus achieves. The points score system focuses efforts and resources on helping into work people in priority groups such as lone parents, disabled people and those in the most disadvantaged areas. For each person that Jobcentre Plus places in work it will earn a point score ranging from 12 for, for example, a customer on long term Incapacity Benefit to a single point for someone who is already employed. See Annex 1 for details.
Tackling fraud and error By March 2004 to reduce losses from fraud and error in working age Income Support and Jobseeker's Allowance to no more than 6.9 per cent. of the monetary value of these benefits paid during the year.
Helping employers fill their vacancies At least 82 per cent. of employers placing their vacancies with Jobcentre Plus will have a positive outcome.
Business delivery To ensure that specified key Jobcentre Plus business processes are delivered efficiently, accurately and to specified standards in 88 per cent. of cases.
Serving our customers well To achieve an 83 per cent. customer service level in the delivery of the standards set out in the Customers' and Employers' Charters.
14 Apr 2003 : Column 46WS
The following table explains how points will be allocated to job entry outcomes when calculating how Jobcentre Plus performs against the target of helping people into work.
| Targets | |
|---|---|
| Job Outcomes: to achieve a total points Score of 7,681,000 based on these job entry Outcomes | |
| People on New Deal for Lone Parents and other lone parents | 12 |
| People on New Deal for Disabled People, other people with disabilities on inactive benefits and other primary benefit recipients | 12 |
| People on New Deal 50 Plus, New Deal 25 Plus, New Deal for Young People | 8 |
| People helped into work through Employment Zones | 8 |
| Other people with disabilities and people who have been receiving Jobseeker's Allowance for six months or more | 8 |
| People receiving Jobseeker's Allowance for up to six months | 4 |
| Other jobless people not claiming any benefits | 2 |
| People already employed, changing jobs | 1 |
| Additional Points | |
| People receiving Jobseeker's Allowance remaining off their allowance four weeks after being helped into work by Jobcentre Plus | 1 |
| People living in 30 specified local authority Districts and 258 specified local authority wards | 50 per cent. of theoriginal score or2 minimum |
Disability And Carers Directorate
Key targets for the delivery of disability and carers benefits for 2003–04:
| Accuracy: | |
| Disability Living Allowance | 98 per cent |
| Attendance Allowance | 98 per cent |
| Carer's Allowance | 95 per cent |
| Average actual clearance time for new claims: | |
| Disability Living Allowance | 42 days |
| Attendance Allowance | 26 days |
| Carer's Allowance | 30 days
|