HC Deb 19 October 1989 vol 158 cc254-5W
Mr. Warren

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 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. Alan Clark

Twenty-four civilian officers in grades 1, 2 and 3 have attended courses specifically on information technology since promotion to the level of grade 3. Twenty-eight officers (including 12 of those who have attended specific courses) have attended courses containing an element of information technology. These represent 35 per cent. and 41 per cent. respectively of the total number of staff in these grades.

Mr. Warren

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 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. Alan Clark

I shall write to my hon. Friend.

Mr. Warren

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 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. Alan Clark

The day-to-day management of the Department's information technology (IT) strategy is the responsibility of officials. I am the Minister responsible for oversight of information technology matters. Information technology is in general so integrated into the Department's business functions that to attempt to apportion specific intervals of an individual's time to its consideration would involve too high a proportion of variables.