Letter from Defra to the Committee
DEFRA AUTUMN PERFORMANCE REPORT 2008
Thank you for your letter of 19 February
seeking further information on some aspects of Defra's Autumn
Performance Report. This information is set out below in the order
in which you asked it. I hope it is helpful. Please let me know
if there is anything else you need .
7 April 2009
SR04 PSA TARGETS
1. PSA 1: The 2008 departmental annual
report assessed this PSA as "on course". The Autumn
Performance Report gives "met" as the final assessment
for one of the three strands of PSA 1 (progress towards internationally
agreed commitments to tackle climate change). The target is now
subsumed within PSA 27 for the current period (SR07). The
Committee would like a report on progress for the other two strands
within PSA 1 (progress towards delivering the World Summit
on Sustainable Development commitments; and the achievement of
positive trends in the Government's headline indicators of sustainable
development) and an explanation of how the final assessment for
those two strands will be reported.
Defra wrote to HMT in September 2007 explaining
that we would not continue the reporting arrangements and formats
for PSA 1 into the new CSR period. Some of the climate change
aspects are covered by the climate change PSA (PSA 27 now
with the Department of Energy and Climate Change), other aspects
are covered by Defra's new DSO 5 (formerly DSO 6) on Championing
Sustainability and also by the set of departmental PSA and DSO
indicators that have been identified and agreed by HMT and the
Sustainable Development (SD) Programme Board as relevant to assessing
wider Government performance on SD.
There is no straight substitute for the World
Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) commitments. These are
being addressed in the main through the SD Dialogues and reported
under the SD DSO and the Intermediate Outcome (10) on progress
under the SD Dialogues (this is under development).
The latest update on the achievement of positive
trends in the Government's headline indicators is that, compared
with the position in 1999, 53 measures show improvement (representing
over half of those for which it is possible to make an assessment),
and 30 showed little or no change. Sustainable development
indicators in your pocket[7]
is published annually and provides an analysis of the 68 indicators.
The 2009 edition is due to be published at the end of July
2009,
2. PSA 3: The Autumn Performance Report notes
"slippage" against the progress on both parts of PSA
3 (PSA 3a—farmland birds and PSA 3b—Sites of
Special Scientific Interest).
(i) In relation to PSA 3a, the Committee
would like a report on the progress towards implementing the recommendations
relating to the Environmental Stewardship programme described
in the Autumn Performance Report. If the recommendations have
not all been implemented the Committee wish to know the expected
date of full implementation and any further action being taken
or planned that will address the "slippage".
(ii) In relation to PSA 3b the Committee
would like to know whether Defra has analysed data from the Natural
England's Site Information System to track progress of SSSIs?
(i) The Department will continue to report
on progress against PSA3a (farmland birds) until its completion
date in 2020 in the Departmental and Autumn Performance Reports,
and via the annual Statistical Notice when new data become available.
Implementation of recommendations of the Environmental
Stewardship Review of Progress relevant to the farmland birds
target is underway. Some of the recommended new options and changes
to existing options are already in place, and the remaining option
changes are on course to be implemented by early 2010. A new programme
of advice to farmers and land managers, which, among other things,
will aim to improve uptake of key farmland bird options, is due
to be introduced by the end of 2009, and improved Higher Level
Stewardship targeting for farmland bird species has been in place
since Autumn 2008.
A consultation to seek views on proposed options
to re-establish the environmental benefits of set-aside, including
for farmland birds, was launched on 4 March with a view to
decisions being taken in the summer.
(ii) The Department will continue to report
progress against PSA 3b (SSSIs) in the Departmental and Autumn
Performance Reports until the end of the target in December 2010.
The Natural England Site Information System
(ENSIS) is key to assessing progress on this SSSI target and Defra
has been working closely with Natural England and other major
delivery bodies to ensure that it is kept up-to-date and accurately
reflects progress on planned delivery of remedies. This enables
Natural England, Defra and other partners to plan and prioritise
effectively in order to ensure year-on-year progress and allows
Defra to monitor progress against predicted delivery throughout
the year.
3. PSAS: The progress of SR04 PSA 5 is
dependent upon the outcome of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP)
and World Trade Organisation (WTO) negotiations in reducing CAP
trade-distorting support. As the deadline for these negotiations
has now passed, can the Department advise what the impact of their
outcomes is on your assessment of this target? This target has
now been subsumed within DSO 5.3, however, it is not clear that
the two objectives match exactly as DSO 5 does not refer
to the WTO negotiations. Can the Department therefore clarify
whether the WTO negotiations will be considered within DSO 5?
Despite not reaching an overall agreement by
the end of 2008 in line with the commitment made by G20 Leaders
in November 2008, progress was made throughout that year and a
successful conclusion of the trade talks remains a key priority
for Defra and the Government. As the PSA 5 target has been
subsumed into a CSR07 target, all assessments will be made
under the new DSO 6 (formerly DSO 5) and will next be reported
on in the Departmental Report.
The World Trade Organisation's Doha Development
Agenda negotiations is considered within DSO 6 because it
will contribute to achieving the Government's objectives as set
out in the UK's vision for the CAP.
4. PSA 8: The Committee would like confirmation
that Defra has changed the method of representing the information
for this target, and whether that change has altered the way performance
is measured or presented.
Defra has subsumed the reporting of this target,
which was to achieve the air quality strategy objectives for 8 pollutants
in the Air Quality Strategy (AQS) into reporting on the Air Quality
(AQ) indicator for PSA28. Performance is now reported as progress
on the achievement of objectives for PM10 and NO2 which are
the most significant pollutants (in terms of health risks) that
we still need to improve upon. Defra consider that the monitoring
of PM10 and NO2 gives a representative indication of the
issues that remain for air pollutants in the UK.
Measurement of the remaining six pollutants
is undertaken in the national networks, but these are not assessed
and reported to HMT within the indicator at their request. Assessment
information against the AQS objectives for these six pollutants
is reported annually in the "Air Pollution in the UK"
series of publicly available air quality reports and on the internet
every hour.[8]
PSA 9: The Committee would like confirmation strand
relating to a reduction in the spread of Bovine TB.
The latest available figures as provided in
the 2008 Autumn Performance Report indicate that Defra is
currently on course to meet PSA 9. However, to ensure a complete
count of Confirmed New Incidents (CNIs), the minimum recommended
delay is 60 days, and therefore the final assessment of the
PSA 9 target for 2008 was only available in March 2009.
As at 31 December 2008, the value for the
PSA9 indicator is—4.8 Confirmed New Incidents
(CNIs) per annum in comparison with the target of no more than
+17.5. The indicator for the end of 2008 is therefore well
below the target set for PSA 9.
CSR 2004 EFFICIENCY
SAVINGS
5. Can the Department please provide the
Committee with copies of quarterly efficiency reports submitted
to the OGC for the last two quarters of 2007-08? The APR states
that the forecast number of posts to be relocated by 2010 is
750 but no information is provided as to where these posts
are being relocated from, or where the posts have been, and are
being, relocated to. The Committee would therefore like further
details of the forecast relocation of 750 posts setting out
where they have relocated from and to where they are going?
Copies of 2007-08 3rd and 4th quarter returns
to HMT are enclosed. On relocation of posts out of the South East
under the Lyons programme, the forecast of 750 posts to be
relocated by 2010 represents the total number of posts already
relocated at that point (389), plus the estimate of posts tie
Department thinks may be relocated by 2010. The forecast figure
can therefore change from quarter to quarter as organisations
submit revised forecasts of likely posts to relocate and decisions
are made about relocation.
The forecast of 750 included 260 posts
from the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board, which
is relocating to Stoneleigh, Warwickshire from four locations
in Oxford, Kent, Milton Keynes and London; 83 posts in Marine
Fisheries Agency (to become the Marine Management Organisation)
based in London, for which an announcement on the area for relocation
was awaited; and 18 posts in Natural England relocating to
various locations around the country (Bristol, Crewe, Leeds, Lincoln,
Newcastle, Nottingham, Taunton, Worcester and York).
Since the publication of the APR, the latest
information we have, based on 3rd Quarter data, is as follows:
| Number of posts relocated:
| 404 (including 15 of the previously forecast NE posts)
|
| AHDB forecast: | 232 (clarified and reduced from previous forecast)
|
| MMO forecast: | 83 (decision to relocate to Tyneside announced on 12 February 2009)
|
| Total forecast: | 719
|
| |
CSR 2007 PSA AND DSO TARGETS
6. DSO 2: A healthy, resilient, productive and diverse
natural environment Although no new data is available for indicator
2.5.3, the Autumn Performance Report reports that more soil protection
relevant options have been taken up, this should affect DSO 2.5 positively.
Referring to indicator 2.5.1, the Autumn Performance Report's
summary of this target overlooks the "tailing off" of
agreements (page 50), which is something that will need to be
addressed if performance is to increase. Can the Department report
what action it is taking, or that of its delivery partner, Natural
England, to address this decline?
To deal with the "tailing off" of new agreements,
Defra and Natural England (NE) have agreed to a target of 70%
of available agricultural land to be in agri-environment schemes
by March 2011. This target is included in NE's corporate plan.
NE are planning a programme of promotion and advice, to start
in Autumn 2009, that should help stimulate demand for Environmental
Stewardship to help reach the 70% coverage target. The planned
additional advice should also help increase the coverage of the
most environmentally effective options for each farm including,
where relevant, options for soil protection.
7. DSO 3: Sustainable patterns of consumption and production
(i) With reference to indicator 3.1.1, the Autumn
Performance Report makes reference to the limitations of the data
and states that such information only provides a partial assessment.
Can the Department provide details on how it deals with such limitations
when reporting progress on the indicator?
(ii) With reference to indicator 3.1.2, how does
the Department propose to deal with the increases in water consumption
in order to fulfil this target?
(iii) In light of recent press reports that have
shown household recycling being sorted in warehouses rather than
being recycled, can the Department advise whether there are adequate
waste facilities to meet the household waste recycling DSO (DSO
3.2 indicator 3.2.2)?
(i) Defra deals with the limitations in two ways. Firstly,
where limitations exist, they are highlighted and reasons are
given about why only a partial assessment can be provided. Secondly,
Defra is taking action to remove avoidable limitations. We explain
our approach further below in relation to the two types of limitations
in the current reporting. The first is the coverage of impacts
and natural resources; the second is not being able to make any
allowance in the assessment for the effect of structural changes
in the economy over time.
Coverage of environmental impacts and natural resources
The APR notes that only a limited number of environmental
impacts and natural resources are covered. The following are examples
of impacts and resources not covered.
1. The impact of production on the land and water environment:
such as biodiversity impacts in the UK and overseas. There is
very limited information about this kind of impact. Research conducted
by Defra[9] has highlighted
the difficulties of tracing the links between UK production and
consumption impacts and biodiversity impacts, particularly when
these occur overseas. This means that it is not possible to apply
even the limited information that we have on biodiversity impacts
when reporting process; and we judge that it will always be challenging
to address this limitation. However, we are currently considering
what case studies could be commissioned on relevant aspects of
consumption and production in order to improve our understanding
of their impacts on biodiversity and the potential to develop
suitable proxies.
2. Scarce raw materials such as metals: again, we currently
do not have the information to judge whether the efficiency of
use of raw materials is increasing, although to some extent we
are using waste to landfill as a proxy for resource use. We are
conscious about this gap, which we are seeking to address in a
number of ways. Firstly, we are awaiting the outcome of the EU-led
research into an environmentally-adjusted material flows indicator
(EMC). Once published, this may provide a useful approach that
can be incorporated into the indicators, and ensure we comply
with international best practice. In addition, the programme is
currently considering the development of supplementary indicators
and evidence which would more closely reflect the outcomes of
the programme, such as raw materials flows. By necessity, such
supplementary indicators are likely to rely on a range of quantitative
and qualitative evidence. We are beginning work on a potential
approach, which will carefully consider the methodological, cost
and resource implications and level of business engagement that
may be required. We hope that we will have made sufficient progress
to communicate our proposals by Summer 2009, however as this is
a complex area and a new approach we cannot commit to a firm timetable.
Our intention is to be as swift, but as thorough, as the issues
require careful analysis and consideration.
Furthermore, air quality emissions such as nitrogen oxides
and sulphur dioxide are not covered in the assessment. However
Defra does not consider the exclusion of these emissions to be
a limitation resulting in a partial assessment. This is because
these emissions are relatively less important than the emissions
that are included in the indicator, and they are currently changing
in the right direction. However, if the trend were reversed then
we would reconsider this approach.
Adjustment for structural changes in the economy
The APR notes that the indicator has not been adjusted to
allow for structural changes in the economy over the period, such
as changes in the balance between products that are manufactured
domestically and those that are imported. This is an important
qualification on the interpretation of any changes in the indicator,
and was highlighted by a number of respondents when Defra consulted
on SCP indicators in 2004.
Defra is seeking to address this limitation. Therefore we
have recently commissioned some research on the impact of structural
change in the UK economy on changes in CO2 emissions from
UK production, which is due to report later this year. Assessing
the impact of structural change on water use and waste arisings
is not possible at present because of the lack of detailed data
for different economic sectors. Work is currently underway to
explore a number of options for monitoring waste arising from
different sectors of the economy. For water statistics, we are
pressing the ONS to make a decision to include questions on volumes
of water use in the Annual Business Inquiry, once it is re-launched.
(ii) There is evidence that current policies on demand
management including metering are effectively constraining average
per capita consumption of water, and that the marginal increase
in total household demand is driven from increasing household
numbers rather than per capita consumption, which has reduced
marginally in this period.
The Government has introduced a number of policies to improve
demand management and constrain water consumption within the domestic
sector including:
— changes to legislation on water metering to enable
water companies to increase the extent of metering;
— the introduction by Ofwat of water efficiency targets
on water companies;
— new requirements from 2010 under building regulations
for water efficiency in new homes;
— a review of water fittings regulations with a view
to improving water efficiency; and
— developing the evidence base on the cost-effectiveness
of water efficiency measures, in order to inform the forthcoming
periodic review (2010-15).
We will evaluate these policies by monitoring average per
capita consumption and overall demand within the household sector.
Apart from metering, the policies above are all recent, so
their evaluation is still underway. We do however already have
good evidence that metering reduces average water demand (typical
estimates are of a 10% reduction in consumption from metering).
Furthermore, water companies are currently modelling future average
per capita consumption and overall demand within the household
sector within their Water Resource Management Plans.
We will use this water company modelling and our on-going
policy evaluation to determine whether these policies and other
related measures are producing a reduction in overall demand,
and whether further measures are required.
(iii) The latest available statistics indicate that 35%
of household waste is being recycled (in the year from July 07 to
June 08). Household recycling rates have more than quadrupled
in the last ten years. Many householders and local authorities
are now responding to the "reduce, reuse and recycle"
message. Good progress is being made towards the household recycling
and composting targets set out in England's Waste Strategy
2007 of 40% by 2010; 45% by 2015; and 50% by 2020. However
there is still more to be done.
Defra is well aware that the economic downturn poses some
new challenges for those managing waste; and we are keeping a
very close watch on the situation. We have given Local Authorities
a tasking framework to ensure that there are adequate waste facilities.
However, it is the demand for recycled raw materials, both in
the UK and abroad, which is the key to sustainable recycling systems.
Recycling markets in the UK and abroad are showing signs
of stabilising, and prices are rising for most materials. Only
a small number of councils report that they are storing some recyclable
material longer than normal. The vast majority of materials that
are being put out for recycling are still being recycled. The
message is clear: there are markets for most materials and householders
should continue to recycle.
We are looking at a range of measures to help further stimulate
demand. This accompanies the various actions that we are taking
to improve the quality of recyclates from the household wastestream,
since in a slack market, better sorting and less contamination
make a difference to being able to sell materials for recycling.
8. DSO 4: Economy and society resilient to environmental
risk and adapted to the impacts of climate change
(i) A new National Indicator (Nl) has been developed
for DSO indicator 4.2.3. Can the Department advise when results
from the partnership board set up to monitor the indicator will
report and if already done so, how such results affect the performance
of this target?
(ii) Progress on DSO 4.3.1 is assessed as "amber".
Pre-registration for the REACH programme for indicator 4.3.1,
closed December 2008. Can the Department report how many UK firms
have signed up to pre-registration and how awareness of this programme
is measured, as reported in the Autumn Performance Report?
(i) The Local and Regional Adaptation Partnership (LRAP)
Board was set up in July 2008 to deliver a programme of policy
development, evidence and support on adaptation at the local and
regional level over the period 2008-11. The results from the first
year of NI188 will be available in June 2009. Defra in consultation
with Government Offices and the LRAP board will review the first
year results of NI188 in Summer 2009. We will publish a summary
once this review has taken place.
During Year 1 of NI188, the LRAP Board has undertaken
several activities to commission research, review progress and
support local authorities in delivering against NI188. In October
2008, the board delivered nine regional workshops to identify
guidance needed by Local Authorities to deliver against NI188.
In December 2008, following a consultation process with authorities,
the board published the NI188 Guidance Notes. A second round
of Nl 188 workshops focussing on self assessment, reviewing
progress to date and Comprehensive Area Assessment (CAA) are being
undertaken during March/April 2009.
(ii) According to official figures from the European
Chemicals Agency 22,227 UK companies made a total of 418,753 pre-registrations.
This represents the highest number of companies from any of the
member states. However, it is not possible to estimate how many
companies in the UK will have a registration duty under REACH
and ought to have pre-registered. Some evidence on this will result
from ongoing enforcement activity. The priority for the Health
and Safety Executive, which is the Competent Authority for REACH
in the UK, will be to help businesses back into compliance rather
than taking punitive enforcement action.
Defra carried out two surveys of small and medium-sized enterprises
in January and December 2008. The small sample size means that
the results can only be indicative. The second survey points to
a small increase in awareness during the course of 2008. The most
significant increases in awareness of REACH were amongst medium-sized
enterprises and businesses in the manufacturing and construction
sector. It was also amongst these sections of the sample that
there was the most noticeable increase in the level of understanding
of REACH. There was a significant reduction in the number of businesses
which believed that all chemicals must be registered immediately,
which is likely to be connected to a better understanding of the
pre-registration phase.
9. DSO 5: A thriving farming and food sector, with an
improving net environmental impact
(i) The Department has developed five proxy indicators
to report on indicator 5.1.3 however no data has been able
to be collected over the last three months. Does the Department
know when data from these proxy indicators will be available and
how regularly such data will be available over the CSR07 period?
(ii) Furthermore, does the Department have a likely
publication data for the analysis of Farm Assurance schemes which
will enable it to identify and prioritise areas for targeted work?
(iii) "No progress" is reported for DSO
5 indicator 5.5.1. The Committee would like to know what
measures you are taking to address this situation as the Autumn
Performance Report is unclear?
(iv) The progress of SR07 DSO 5 indicator
5.3.2 is partly dependent upon the outcome of the UK's negotiations
on the "Health Check" reforms to the Common Agricultural
Policy. As the deadline for this agreement has now passed, can
the Department advise what the impact of their outcomes is on
its assessment of this target?
(i) The proxy indicators are a further set of indicators
specifically on farming's environmental impacts and cover uptake
of Single Payment Scheme (SPS) and failure rates of cross-compliance
inspections, uptake of Entry Level Scheme (ELS), use of Integrated
Farm Management (IFM) and length of hedgerows managed under ELS.
The following table outlines when and how frequently data for
each indicator will be available.
Indicator | Reporting frequency
| Status |
1. SPS/Cross compliance | Annual, quarterly
| Annual data to 2007. 2008 update due in May 2009. Quarterly data awaited.
|
| 2. ELS uptake | Annual, quarterly
| Annual data to 2008. Quarterly data awaited.
|
| 3. Soil management plans |
| Dropped to reflect dropping of plans from ELS. An alternative needs to be identified.
|
| 4. Use of IFM | Annual |
2009 data available in summer 2009 |
| 5. Lengths of hedgerows | Annual, quarterly
| Annual data to 2008. Quarterly data awaited.
|
| |
|
(ii) It was originally anticipated that this study, which
will look at the impact of assurance scheme standards across a
range of outcomes, would be published this spring. However there
has been some delay lo the publication of this report because
of the need for further work to improve the robustness of the
analysis. The publication is now expected to be published by the
end of 2009.
(iii) This indicator was developed as an interim measure,
against which we would not expect to see dramatic changes over
a short period of time. Work to develop further indicators was
put on hold in anticipation of the Cabinet Office "Food Matters"
report and the subsequent need to work up the "Vision for
a sustainable food system", which the report provided a mandate
for. A project is now underway to develop a wider set of indicators
for the new DSO 7 (A sustainable, secure and healthy food
supply). This project is due to be completed by the end of July
2009 and we hope the indicators developed will prove to be
capable of showing progress over a larger number of issues.
Although the work to develop a full set of indicators was
delayed, Defra has put in place a number of actions designed to
reduce the greenhouse gas (GHG) intensity of our food supply.
These include: the development of a standard methodology for measuring
GHGs in goods and services (PAS2050) which will give supply chains
the information they need to drive emissions down; research projects
designed to strengthen the evidence base on GHG impacts of food;
sponsorship of WRAP whose campaign "Love Food Hate Waste"
highlights one of the most important actions consumers can take
to reduce GHG impacts of food consumption; helping the dairy sector
produce the "milk roadmap" which aims to identify and
reduce environmental impacts of milk; carrying out projects aimed
at developing a policy framework to reduce emissions from the
agriculture, forestry and land management sector; and communicating
the risks, responsibilities and opportunities that climate change
presents to farmers, through the Farming Futures Project, which
we are funding until March 2010.
(iv) EU agriculture ministers reached political agreement
on the CAP Health Check on 20 November 2008, and the Health
Check conclusions were adopted at the Agriculture and Fisheries
Council of 19 January 2009. Overall, the UK Government takes
the view that the agreement reached on the Health Check is a step
in the right direction of further reform, but is also a missed
opportunity to speed up the process of change.
The final agreement will remove about half of the remaining
production coupled payments, reduce levels of intervention and
production controls, cut prices for consumers and give farmers
greater freedom to farm. It also doubles the amount of CAP funding
transferred from farm support to rural development and environmental
schemes across the EU—while bringing modulation rates in
other Member States closer to that in the UK.
The CAP Health Check reforms which will have the most significant
implications for the production-linked support indicator are:
the setting of intervention volumes to zero for barley and sorghum;
the further decoupling of direct payments; and the imposition
of higher rates of compulsory modulation on coupled direct payments.
These various reforms will feed directly through to the level
of measured support as they are implemented. Intervention will
be set to zero for durum wheat and rice in 2009, and for barley
and sorghum in 2010. Decoupling occurs from 2010 to 2012,
with the largest scheme (arable crops) decoupled in 2010. Full
details are available in the Health Check Impact Assessment. The
progress of this will be reported against this indicator in future
Departmental Reports.
The World Trade Organisation's Doha Development Agenda negotiations
is considered within DSO 6 (formerly DSO 5) because it will
contribute to achieving the Government's objectives as set out
in the UK's vision for the CAP. Despite not reaching an overall
agreement by the end of 2008 in line with the commitment
made by G20 Leaders in November 2008, progress was made throughout
that year and a successful conclusion of the trade talks remains
a key priority for Defra and HMG. The UK Government's aims for
the DDA continue to complement its efforts to reform the CAP.
10. DSO 7: Strong rural communities
In setting out priority action for DSO 7.2, the Autumn Performance
Report omits rural earnings and rural investment as concern areas,
despite them displaying non-green status. Can the Department clarify
whether these indicators are the responsibility of other departments,
and if so, which ones? If not, why are these indicators not priority
areas for Defra?
As the Autumn Performance Report makes clear, the whole of
Government shares delivery responsibility for this DSO. That the
two indicators highlighted by the Committee were not singled out
as priorities was not an indication of complacency. In one case
(earnings) the reason for the status level was well understood
and rural incomes are very much on a par with those of urban areas.
For the other indicator (investment) the difficulties in attributing
data at Local Authority District level (and therefore as rural
or otherwise) were documented in the report. But since the report
was written it has become clear that there has been a significant
worsening in the economic outlook. Therefore all aspects of this
intermediate outcome have become a priority for closer scrutiny
as part of the broader economic picture. It is the Regional Development
Authorities (RDAs) that are at the forefront of delivery. It is
vital that Government is able to quickly identify any particular
rural issues that may be less obviously apparent because of the
nature of these areas but which may require specific action. To
this end, we are working closely with the RDAs themselves and
the Commission for Rural Communities to make sure that the National
Economic Council has access to high quality intelligence regarding
the economic situation in rural areas.
11. DSO 8: A respected department delivering efficient
and high quality services and outcomes
(i) Assessment of DSO 8 is not available as
internal indicators have been revised recently. Until these indicators
are available, assessment is not possible. It is not clear from
the Autumn Performance Report how this target will be assessed
due to the absence of indicators. When will the internal indicators
be available and the initial assessments take place?
(ii) Can the Department advise what structural changes
have been introduced to its financial reporting system and how
this will improve reporting (page 100)?
(i) A revised approach to monitoring Defra's DSO on respect
(DSO 9, formerly DSO 8) is in place and was road-tested by the
Management Board in October 2008. This approach is still being
refined, based on feedback from the Management Board. The next
formal opportunity for board members to take stock of the approach
and progress will be at the April Management Board, when a report
covering the January to March period will be presented. At this
point, Board members will be asked to decide if the revised approach
meets their needs and can be used in an ongoing way.
(ii) Please see the answer to question 14.
CSR 2007 VALUE FOR
MONEY TARGETS
12. The Government announced in the Pre-Budget Report
2008 that additional value for money savings of £5 billion
were to be delivered across government by 2010-11. However, if
has not been announced as to where these additional savings will
be made and which Departments will contribute towards the overall
figure. Can you advise whether you will be expected to find additional
value for money savings?
Defra will be making a contribution towards the £5 billio
additional Value for Money savings to be delivered across Government
in 2010-11 as announced in the Pre-Budget Report 2008. An
announcement on the size of Defra's contribution, alongside other
departments', is a matter for the Chancellor.
DEPARTMENTAL INITIATIVES
13. The Autumn Performance Report reports on a number
of measures it has introduced to improve efficiency and save money.
This includes the introduction of new IT systems and structural
changes to the financial reporting system. Can you advise what
level of savings and improvements to reporting have been delivered
as a result of these changes?
There has been no new IT systems introduced to support financial
reporting but instead over the past 18 months, significant
structural changes have been made to our financial reporting system,
and to Defra's Estimate and outturn reporting, to reflect the
new Departmental Strategic Objectives (DSO) structure. This will
facilitate reporting under Defra's portfolio management approach.
The recent Machinery of Government change, to set up the Department
of Energy and Climate Change, resulted in a further DSO reorganisation,
including the creation of two new DSOs. This restructure has also
been incorporated into the financial reporting system and Estimate.
How internal programmes map to the new DSO structure has mainly
been resolved but may require finessing over time.
As part of the Defra CSR07 VfM Delivery Plan, we have
a target to deliver savings of £4.765 million from IT
efficiencies by 2010-11. Efficiencies will be made through management
of the strategic contract between Defra and IBM to deliver lower
cost of operational services and application development; greater
business discipline; faster development of applications; and flexibility
on infrastructure size.
Internally, Defra's Oracle Finance and HR systems have been
updated to support Defra's "Renewed" ways of working.
In particular, this includes a new approval structure, mirroring
new delegation to Senior Responsible Owners and resulting accountability
lines. These changes are important for the effective functioning
of the Renew model which focuses on delivery Programmes, Projects
and Ongoing Activities which is a radical change from one reporting
against the previous Defra organisation structure, based on a
more conventional Directorate and Division hierarchy.
These improvements to the reporting structure have not (and
were never intended to) deliver efficiency savings in themselves,
but rather they facilitate greater transparency of expenditure
against the new Programme and Project structure and enable better
informed decision-making.
ISSUES WITH
DATA
14. The first full year of data for DSO 2.6 (indicator
2.6.1) is not expected until March/April 2010 and so progress
may not he reported until the 2010 APR. This may not allow
sufficient time for action to be taken against the target should
the data reveal progress to be behind schedule. Can you advise
what steps you have put in place to address this situation should
it arise?
The Monitoring Engagement with the Natural Environment (MENE)
Survey started on 9 March 2009 and will provide data
for indicator 2.6.1, the proportion of the adult population taking
part in visits to the outdoors from home for leisure purposes
and the frequency of these visits. The MENE survey will give us
data over time on who is, and is not, accessing the natural environment,
why they go or don't go, and what would make them more likely
to visit or to visit more frequently. The indicator does not yet
have a specific target value or trajectory associated with it.
However, although the full year's data will not be ready
until 2010, we will have some preliminary results in time for
the 2009 APR to give an indication of progress. There are
also other sources of data that it is possible to use but these
are less comprehensive than MENE and tend to focus on specific
areas only. MENE will cover all visits made to the natural environment
and will develop our understanding significantly.
7
The 2008 edition is available at: http://www.defra.gov.uk/sustainable/government/progress/data-resources/sdiyp.htm Back
8
http://www.airquality.co.uk/archive/index.php Back
9
Research project EV02002
http://randd.defra.gov.uk/Default.aspx?Menu=Menu&Module=More&Location=None&Completed=0&ProiectlD=140 65#Description. Back
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