§ Mr. Eggarasked the Minister for Trade if he will list and describe the studies from within or without his 323W Department relating to the effectiveness and efficiency of his Department together with the recommendations and action taken on those recommendations.
§ Mr. Peter ReesManagement work in my Department related to its effectiveness and efficiency covers the whole range of its operations. It includes continuing studies of more effective means of financial and other management control and a continuous review of the need for functions and how they are performed. This work takes many forms, often related to the Government's financial management initiative and all related to the most efficient and effective use of resources. These include participation in the programme of Departmental and broader centrally co-ordinated Rayner scrutinies and efficiency exercises; internal reviews on the same basis; continuing internal programmes of staff inspection and management services studies; work on technological improvements, for example in the fields of computerisation and office automation; work on management information systems; consideration of responsibility cost centres; audit work; appropriate use of consultants; and other ongoing tasks. At any time these result in many hundreds of recommendations for consideration, on which implementing action proceeds as quickly as is practicable. More detailed information would involve a disproportionate cost.