§ 51. Mr. David MartinTo ask the Minister for the Civil Service what agencies have been established in the last 12 months.
§ Mr. LuceSeven of the 10 executive agencies set up so far were established in the past 12 months. A full list is given in the White Paper "The Financing and Accountability of Next Steps Agencies" (Cm. 914) which is available in the Library of the House.
§ Mr. MartinWill my right hon. Friend confirm that the main objective of the agency system is to improve service to the public? Can he give examples of how this is working successfully in practice?
§ Mr. LuceMy hon. Friend is right. One of the main purposes is to improve the management of the Civil Service, especially the service function. The aim is also to ensure that, by setting performance targets, services to the public or to the interests that are served are improved. There is already evidence of that in the Vehicle Inspectorate and Companies House. There is evidence that the 10 agencies are carrying out surveys on their consumer interests and taking account of the views of those whom they serve. The purpose of these reforms is to lead to a better service to the public.