HC Deb 19 October 1989 vol 158 c177W
Mr. Warren

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many officials in his Department at grade 3 and above have, since promotion to the level of grade 3, attended a course(a) specifically on information technology and (b) containing an element of information technology; and what percentage each represents of all the staff in those grades in his Department.

Mr. Forth

All staff in grades 1 and 2 have attended specific training courses on information technology issues.

In financial years 1987–88, 1988–89 and 1989–90 to date, 13 staff at grade 3 level (25 per cent. of those in grade) attended courses specifically on information technology and 9 (17 per cent.) attended courses involving an element of information technology. The information related to all staff at grade 3 level since promotion or before 1987–88, is not available without disproportionate cost to the taxpayer.

Mr. Warren

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many work stations excluding stand-alone word processors are currently installed in his Department; and what is the ratio of such work stations to civil servants.

Mr. Forth

Excluding stand-alone word processors there are currently some 5,300 computer work stations in the Department of Trade and Industry. The ratio of work stations to civil servants is about 1:2.

Mr. Warren

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which Minister in his Department is responsible for day-to-day management of his Department's information technology strategy; and what proportion of his time was spent on this matter in the month up to Friday 13 October.

Mr. Forth

The day-to-day management of the Department of Trade and Industry's information technology (IT) strategy is the responsibility of officials. I am the Minister responsible for oversight of IT matters in the Department of Trade and Industry. IT is in general so integrated into the Department's business functions that to attempt to apportion specific intervals of my time to its consideration would involve a disproportionate effort.