Examination of Witnesses (Questions 640-642)
MR SEAN
SHINE, MR
PETER HOLMES
AND MR
ANDY NAISH
22 MAY 2006
Q640 Chairman: What were the amendments
aimed at achieving that Mr Addison asked you to look at?
Mr Naish: He was interested in
finding ways of improving the speed with which validations could
be addressed and also was there anything that might make payment
authorisation slicker.
Q641 Chairman: Were there?
Mr Naish: The primary changes
associated with the payment authorisations were made through changes
to the business process rather than changes to the IT system.
We did support—and are supporting for next year—some
changes to alter the way tasks are delivered to make them claim-based
rather than task-based. The change to the RITA system to support
that is something that will happen at the beginning of 2006.
Q642 Chairman: You were saying that
the system is now stable and working correctly at all stages of
the process.
Mr Naish: Yes.
Chairman: Gentlemen, thank you very much
indeed for the evidence. There are a number of points which the
Committee were not able to touch on which we will address in correspondence
to you. We welcome the offer of further information and in particular
the clerk will also be writing to you with reference to some of
the meetings you may well have had with permanent secretaries
and others so that we can get a complete picture of your exchanges
with both the RPA and with Defra. Thank you for giving your time
and coming before us as witnesses this afternoon.
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