HL Deb 29 June 1982 vol 432 cc214-6WA
Lord Gridley

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What progress has been made with the review of supporting services in Government Research and Development Establishments announced on 25th February last year and if they will make a statement.

The Lord Privy Seal (Baroness Young)

The examining officers in departments have now reported to their Ministers. Sir Derek Rayner has presented my right honourable friend the Prime Minister and myself with a report on the wider management issues. His report is being published today.

The results of the review are important. The examining officers proposed changes in the provision of supporting services to save at least £15 million a year in today's prices (including 1,500 posts) while continuing with our essential scientific research programmes. Once and for all savings recommended are worth about £7 million in today's prices. Sir Derek Rayner's report proposes a new management régime for the establishments to give Ministers better information about value for money from research projects, to provide clearer authority and accountability for the directors of research establishments, and to set up improved control systems. The review has cost about £350,000.

The review has demonstrated the importance and success of the Government's efficiency strategy. By combining the scrutiny approach with more traditional methods like work measurement, the review has produced significant lessons and shown that substantial improvements are possible in areas where previous approaches have failed to exploit the full potential for improving efficiency. Departments are continuing this approach through a number of resource control reviews co-ordinated by the Management and Personnel Office. Ministers in charge of departments will be pursuing the recommendations and producing action documents. They will also consider how the recommendations can be applied to areas of support in R and D establishments not covered by the review. The Management and Personnel Office will aim to ensure that the optimum value is extracted from the general lessons of the review. I am grateful to the staff who, under the guidance of Sir Derek Rayner and the Management and Personnel Office, have produced these excellent results.

House adjourned at twenty-six minutes past six o' clock.