§ Mr. DevlinTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment what value for money savings have been achieved by his Department in the last year; and how much of this was as a result of advice from the central unit on purchasing.
§ Mr. EggarThe figures for 1989–90 are being processed and are not yet available. However, the statistics in the table show for all parts of the ED group the improvements in 1988–89 as published in the 1989 progress report to the Prime Minister. It is not possible to attribute particular savings to advice from central unit on purchasing. The role of the central unit on purchasing is to give advice and guidance on best purchasing practice; it provides overall support and guidance and encourages value for money across all Government Departments.
Value for money improvements (£ million) 1988–89 Departments Spend VFM Per cent. achieved Per cent. targeteds Department of Employment 94.2 14.91 15.8 10.6 Training Agency 91.4 7.11 7.8 5.0 Health and Safety Executive 27.0 1.55 5.7 5.0