HC Deb 19 December 1991 vol 201 cc296-8W
Mr. McAllion

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the quality of service performance indicators adopted by each of his Department's executive agencies since their establishment; and separately identify those quality of service performance indicators already operative prior to agency status.

Mr. Lang

[holding answer 17 December 1991]: The framework documents for my three agencies set out the following key performance measures:

Registers of Scotland turn round times in respect of the Land and Sasine Registers unit costs for the primary products of the Land and Sasine Registers backlog arrears comparisons in the Land and Sasine Registers evidence of customer satisfaction, eg error rates attributable to the Agency and indemnity claims progress on extending the Land Register to the whole of Scotland income/expenditure comparisons.

Historic Scotland number of ancient monuments newly scheduled number of completed units of the resurvey of listed buildings number of general Historic Building Repair grant cases in payment conservation backlog on monuments in care value for money savings in maintenance of monuments in care number of visitors to monuments in care where an admission charge is made total income surplus on commercial activities exchequer contribution to Historic Scotland's work.

Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency aerial surveillance—per cent. of hours flown on task1 cost per aircraft sighting marine surveillance—number of boardings at sea marine surveillance-cost per boarding Sea Fisheries Inspectorate—cost per £1 million of fish landed prosecutions—proportion of cases reported for prosecution within required timescales number of cases where court proceedings are taken as percentage of offences report for prosecution.

Performance measures operative prior to agency status were: for the Registers of Scotland, turn round times, backlog arrears and indemnity claims; for Historic Scotland, increases in visitor numbers, income targets and numbers of historic buildings repair grants; and for the Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency, numbers of boardings at sea.

1"Time on task" is the time that the aircraft spends looking for fishing vessels. It excludes transit time between airports and fishing grounds and flights for crew training, aircraft testing, and so on.

Mr. McAllion

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list those new facilities for staff, including nurseries and health care schemes, which have been introduced in each of his Department's executive agencies since their establishment.

Mr. Lang

[holding answer 17 December 1991]None.

Mr. McAllion

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much was spent on events and publicity surrounding the launch of each of his Department's executive agencies; and whether the cost was born by the parent Department or the new agency.

Mr. Lang

[holding answer 17 December 1991]: The information is as follows:

Costs borne by
Agency Parent Department
£ £
Registers of Scotland 8,000
Historic Scotland 2,700 300
Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency 300 340

Mr. McAllion

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the first degree obtained by the chief executive of each of his Department's executive agencies; and from which university or polytechnic it was awarded.

Mr. Lang

[holding answer 17 December 1991]: The holding of a degree is not mandatory for the post of chief executive of any of the three agencies for which I am responsible. As the information requested is personal to the individual concerned, it is not appropriate to divulge it.

Mr. McAllion

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether a group bonus scheme is in operation in each of his Department's executive agencies.

Mr. Lang

[holding answer 17 December 1991]: No.

Mr. McAllion

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many staff were in post on the date that each of his Department's executive agencies were established; and how many staff are in post now in each case.

Mr. Lang

[holding answer 17 December 1991]: The information is as follows:

Staff in post At Launch1 1 December 1991
Registers of Scotland 997 1,302
Historic Scotland 610.5 627
Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency 196.5 218.5
1 The Registers of Scotland was launched as an agency on 1 April 1990.The two other agencies were launched on 1 April 1991.

Mr. McAllion

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when the last annual report for each of his Department's executive agencies was published; and when the next one is due.

Mr. Lang

[holding answer 17 December 1991]: The first annual report for the Registers of Scotland was published on 23 July 1991 and placed in the Library. Historic Scotland and the Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency became agencies on 1 April 1991 and have not therefore published annual reports as yet. In the case of each of the agencies, the next annual report will be published as soon as possible after the end of the 1991–92 financial year.

Mr. McAllion

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the post, grade and maximum salary payable, including preformance-related elements, in each case where appointments from the private sector have been made to his Department's executive agencies at grade 7 or above, since their establishment.

Mr. Lang

[holding answer 17 December 1991]: One such appointment has been made, at grade 7. The remuneration is within the relevant civil service pay scale for the grade. It would not be appropriate to identify the specific post.

Mr. McAllion

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the maximum salary payable to the chief executive of each of his Department's executive agencies, including performance-related element, and the length of time of the chief executive's contract in each case.

Mr. Lang

[holding answer 17 December 1991]: The information is as follows:

  • Registers of Scotland: as for a Grade 4 civil servant; 5 year contract from 6 June 1990;
  • Historic Scotland: as for a Grade 3 civil servant; open contract; it is intended that the post will be filled by open competition in due course;
  • Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency: as for a Grade 5 civil servant; appointment for 3 years from 1 April 1991.

Mr. McAllion

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the new forms of alternative working patterns introduced into each of his Department's executive agencies since their establishment; and provide a break down by grade of the numbers of staff taking up each new working pattern for each new agency.

Mr. Lang

[holding answer 17 December 1991]: None.