1 Introduction
1. This inquiry is the latest in a long series of
select committee inquiries into their Departments' Annual Report,
a procedure which has been recognised as good practice by the
Select Committee on the Modernisation of the House of Commons.
In its report on Select Committees, the Modernisation Committee
recommended that departmental select committees should examine
and report on estimates and monitor performance against targets.[2]
2. In this instance, we examined the Annual Report
and Accounts 2004 of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.[3]
It sets out the Office's aims and priorities, reports progress
and structural changes throughout 2003-2004 and accounts for the
Office's use of resources in its areas of responsibility. In addition
to information about the Office itself, the report gives limited
details of the work of its agencies and public bodies.[4]
3. We held two oral evidence sessions in public in
October 2004. The transcripts of evidence taken, together with
an additional memorandum from ODPM, are published alongside this
report. Our witnesses on the first occasion were the Permanent
Secretary of the ODPM, Dame Mavis MacDonald DCB, and two senior
officials: Mr Peter Unwin, Director General, Corporate Strategy
and Resources Group and Mr Neil Kinghan, Director General, Local
Government and Fire Group. At the subsequent evidence session
our witnesses were Rt hon Nick Raynsford MP, Minister of State
for Local and Regional Government and Fire and Rt hon Keith Hill
MP, Minister of State for Housing and Planning, accompanied by
officials representing Lord Rooker, Minister of State for Regeneration
and Regional Development: Mr Joe Montgomery, Director General,
Tackling Disadvantage Group and Mr Andrew Wells, Director of Sustainable
Communities.
2 Select Committees: First Report of the Select Committee
on Modernisation of the House of Commons, 2001-2002, HC224-1 Back
3
Cm 6206 Back
4
Cm 6206, chapter 5 Back
|
