§ Mr. Rookerasked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT a statement outlining the function and scope of operation of his Department's quality assurance directorate.
§ Mr. MasonWithin the Ministry of Defence there are nine quality assurance directorates, two of which undertake other duties in addition. Each of the directorates is concerned with particular types of store. Their function is to ensure that contractors undertaking defence work have adequate quality assurance organisations and that these are applied to this work to provide sufficient confidence that goods supplied are of the requisite quality.
The formulation of quality assurance policy and procedures and the communication of these to those concerned, including any necessary training, is the responsibility of the Defence Quality Assurance Board assisted by a small executive staff.
§ Mr. Rookerasked the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what is the establishment and number in post of the quality assurance directorate for each grade, by region;
(2)what is the rate of labour turnover in each grade of the quality assurance directorate;
(3)what are the numbers of male recruits to the quality assurance directorate in the past 12 months who are (a) married and time-served, (b) single and time-served, and (c) single, respectively;
(4)how many members in each grade of the quality assurance directorate are time-served craftsmen.
§ Mr. MasonIt has not been possible to obtain the required information in the238W time available. I will write to my hon. Friend as soon as possible.
§ Mr. Rookerasked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will set out in the OFFICIAL REPORT the current rates of pay for each grade in the quality assurance directorate along with details of area allowances payable.
§ Mr. MasonA large number of grades is involved and I will arrange to publish this information in the OFFICIAL REPORT as soon as possible.
§ Mr. Rookerasked the Secretary or State for Defence if he will make a statement concerning the recruitment policy of the quality assurance directorate.
§ Mr. MasonThe policy of the quality assurance organisation is to recruit staff with appropriate qualifications to meet approved complements, taking into account the planned reduction in numbers arising from the emphasis now placed on quality assurance as distinct from direct inspection.
§ Mr. Rookerasked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the state of progress towards equal pay in the quality assurance directorate.
§ Mr. MasonWomen's pay in the industrial Civil Service will achieve parity next year. In the non-industrial Civil Service equal pay has obtained for many years.
§ Mr. Rookerasked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement about the proposals for a productivity scheme for members of the quality assurance directorate.
§ Mr. MasonA number of industrial employees of the quality assurance directorates already benefit from productivity schemes introduced before November 1972. My Department has for some time been seeking to devise schemes for the remaining employees. There are inherent difficulties in this because of the type of work; and there are also difficulties in applying any scheme within the framework of the Pay Code.
§ Mr. Rookerasked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement about the size of the labour force 239W of the quality assurance directorate planned for the next two years.
§ Mr. MasonThe total strength of the Ministry of Defence quality assurance directorate in April 1974 was 11,850. On current plans it is estimated that this strength will be reduced to about 11,500 by April 1975 and to about 11,000 by April 1976. This area is, however, like all other fields of defence, currently being examined as part of the defence review.
§ Mr. Rookerasked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list those companies where members of the quality assurance directorate have been involved in the past 12 months.
§ Mr. MasonMembers of the Ministry of Defence quality assurance directorates have been involved with about 5,000 firms during the past 12 months. It would obviously be impracticable to publish a list of this size in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Mr. Rookerasked the Secretary of State for Defence if he has any information regarding the numbers of members of the quality assurance directorate who are receiving family income supplement.
§ Mr. Rookerasked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the average amount of overtime worked by members of the quality assurance directorate; and what percentage of those in post regularly work overtime.
§ Mr. MasonThe amount of overtime worked by members of the quality assurance directorates in the Ministry of Defence varies greatly from one establishment to another as well as from time to time. Paid overtime, mainly worked by industrial employees, accounts for less than 10 per cent. of the total industrial wage bill.