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10 Mar 2004 : Column 1510W—continued
Regulatory Impact Assessments
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what work is being done to improve the quality of regulatory impact assessments carried out in her Department. [155324]
Nigel Griffiths: The Cabinet Office published updated guidance on regulatory impact assessments (RIA) in January 2003, which built on lessons learnt since the system of RIA was first introduced in 1998. The Department is promoting the application of the guidance to help improve the quality of RIAs produced by this Department.
TETRA Contract
Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the termination by the Austrian Government of the TETRA contract for the ADONIS nationwide radio communication network in June 2003; and what factors will be taken into account when a decision is made on the Firelink contract in the United Kingdom. [156979]
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Mr. Timms: The decision by the Austrian Government to terminate their TETRA contract is entirely a matter for them.
The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is responsible for placing the contract for the Firelink project. The evaluation criteria for the Firelink procurement will take into account the operational requirements and commercial aspects set out in the invitation to submit proposals. The successful bidder would also have to comply with all relevant UK planning, environmental and safety regulations.
CABINET OFFICE
Civil Servants (Company Directors)
Mr. Heald: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many civil servants in his Department are directors of companies. [159343]
Mr. Alexander: The rules on civil servants and directorships are set out in paragraph 4.3.9 of The Civil Service Management Code, a copy of which is in the Library of the House.
Details of any civil servants who may hold an outside directorship will be held on an individual's personnel file. Such information is not held recorded centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate costs.
Civil Service
Mr. Heald: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office (1) what recent representations he has received regarding the need for legislation to protect the independence of the civil service; [159577]
- (2) what progress has been made on the Government's commitment to bring forward legislation to protect the impartiality of the Civil Service in this parliamentary session; [159578]
(3) what recent representations he has received on establishing a Civil Service commission in statute. [159581]
Mr. Alexander: I refer the hon. Gentleman to my statement of 21 January 2004, Official Report, columns 1341–349. In addition, the Public Administration Select Committee published its proposals for a Civil Service Bill on 5 January 2004. I am also aware of the debate that took place on this issue in the other place on 5 March 2004, Official Report, columns 889–934.
Mr. Heald: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the annual change in the number of Civil Service employees was in each year since 1997–98; and if he will make a statement. [159579]
Mr. Alexander: The information requested is published annually in Civil Service Statistics, copies of which are available in the Libraries of the House and at www.civil-service.gov.uk/statistics
Civil Service Training
Mr. Heald: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what recent representations he has received regarding Civil Service training; and if he will make a statement. [160020]
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Mr. Alexander: The Cabinet Office receives representations from a wide range of stakeholders and interested parties regarding Civil Service training including the Civil Service Trade Unions. The Centre for Management and Policy Studies which includes The Civil Service College is constantly seeking feedback on its courses with a view to ensure that Civil Service training meets the needs of the future of the Civil Service.
Emergency Planning College
Patrick Mercer: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what new training methods have been put in place at the Emergency Planning College at Easingwold over the past two years. [158981]
Mr. Alexander: A review of Emergency Planning College courses, their content and delivery methods was initiated in May 2003.
Changes resulting from this review, including new courses, will begin to take effect from September 2004.
Government Services
Mr. Heald: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office pursuant to his answer of 2 March 2004, Official Report, column 764W, on Government services, what estimate each Government Department has provided on the amount of money expected to be saved by providing services through electronic means by 2005. [160018]
Mr. Alexander: Departments are required to develop business cases for major e-service projects. The Efficiency Review led by Sir Peter Gershon is working with departments to consider how electronic services could be used to deliver additional savings.
Office of the e-Envoy
Mr. Heald: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office (1) what assessment he has made of the impact of the Office of the e-Envoy on the delivery of Government services online; and if he will make a statement; [160024]
- (2) what assessment he has made of the progress of the Office of the e-Envoy; and if he will make a statement. [160022]
Mr. Alexander: In 2002 the Information Age Partnership commissioned a major assessment of the UK's performance across the e-agenda leading to the publication of an independent international benchmarking report, 'The world's most effective policies for the e-economy'. The benchmarking results showed that the UK had made particularly strong progress with low internet access prices and high embedding of ICT in education. The report also found that UK's 'e-government readiness'—defined as the preparedness of government to engage and drive the e-agenda, and particularly deliver e-government—was a strength relative to G7 nations. The Office of the e-Envoy is working with departments towards the target of achieving 100 per cent. of services online by 2005 with key services achieving high levels of use. 68 per cent. of government services are now available electronically.
Mr. Heald: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many (a) special advisers and (b) staff in total are employed in the Office of the e-Envoy. [160025]
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Mr. Alexander: No special advisers are employed in the Office of the e-Envoy. On 1 March 2004 there were 102 staff in post in the office of the e-Envoy.
Policy Hub
Mr. Heald: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what assessment he has made of the impact of Policy Hub; and if he will make a statement. [160033]
Mr. Alexander: I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Gainsborough (Mr. Leigh) on 6 January 2004, Official Report, column 158.
Mr. Heald: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the total expenditure has been (a) in the past 12 months and (b) since the inception on Policy Hub; and if he will make a statement. [160034]
Mr. Alexander: The information is as follows:
(a) Expenditure on Policy Hub for the 12 months ending 31 January 2004, was £91,000. This reflects the costs of IT hosting, support and maintenance.
Since 1 February 2004, the site has been located on the Cabinet Office server. Hosting, support and maintenance costs are now absorbed by general Cabinet Office IT costs.
(b) Running costs since inception, including that for the twelve months ending 31 January 2004 quoted above, totals £207,000 excluding VAT. Policy Hub was launched by the Centre for Management and Policy Studies in the Cabinet Office in March 2002 as part of a wider IT Knowledge Management project, however, it is not possible to disaggregate the costs of Policy Hub from the other elements of the project.
Recruitment
Matthew Taylor: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the cost of recruitment of civil servants for the Department was in each financial year since 1996–97, broken down by (a) delegated or contracted out recruitment procedures and (b) recruitment procedures carried out by the Department. [158196]
Mr. Alexander: Cabinet Office staff recruitment processes and associated budgeting has been delegated to individual Management Units, who are supported by the Cabinet Office HR central recruitment team.
Staff costs for the Cabinet Office HR central recruitment team are available from 2002 to present and are:
- 2002–03: £216,712
- 2003–04: £187,678
Overall Cabinet Office recruitment costs and a breakdown between contracted out activity and recruitment procedure are not maintained centrally and could be provided in the detail required only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Heald: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how much money has been spent advertising Civil Service recruitment in (a) 1996–97 and (b) the most recent period for which figures are available. [160049]
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Mr. Alexander: Responsibility for advertising government jobs lies with individual Government Departments. The information requested is not, therefore, collected centrally. The Civil Service Commissioners Code makes clear that a reasonable opportunity must be given to prospective applicants to become aware of vacancies.
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