Agencies (Hansard, 16 July 1992)

§ Mr. Milligan
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what targets he has set the National Engineering Laboratory agency for 1992–93.
992W

§ Mr. Heseltine
When the National Engineering Laboratory was launched as an executive agency in October 1990, it was set the longer-term target of recovering its full economic costs through arm's length contracts from customers by 1994–95. I congratulate the chief executive and his staff on the excellent progress they have made towards meeting this target.
In addition to building on the position reached in respect of the above target, the agency has been set the following targets for 1992–93: Non-Department of Trade and Industry income as a proportion of full economic costs to grow by 10 per cent. compared with the results for 1991–92—as published in the agency's annual report 1991. Fee earning hours on "arm's length" contracts, as a proportion of all hours, to increase by 10 per cent. compared with the published results for 1991–92. Fee earning hours on "arm's length" contracts, as a proportion of available engineer hours to increase by 7 per cent. compared with the published results for 1991–92. Per capita office space to reduce by 10 per cent. compared with 1991–92. By 1 October 1992 to introduce a concise contract-completion questionnaire, to provide systematic feedback from all clients of all technical centres as part of NEL's commitment to deliver to its clients the standard of service they require. To train at least 60 per cent. of staff in six of the basic competences they will require for operating in a commercial environment.

§ Mr. Milligan
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what targets he has set the National Weights and Measures Laboratory agency for 1992–93.

§ Mr. Leigh
The agency has been set the following key targets for 1992–93:

to operate within its current expenditure budget;

to achieve the specific objectives set out in its 1992–93 to 1995–96 corporate plan, a copy of which was placed in the Library of the House in April this year;

to reduce the unit cost of a programme-hour by 1.5 per cent. in real terms.

The agency is also required to meet a number of other targets, including quality of service targets. Its achievements against these last year will appear in its annual report 1991–92, which is due to be published shortly.
These targets will be subject to annual review.

§ Mr. Milligan
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what targets he has set the Insolvency Service executive agency for 1992–93.

§ Mr. Neil Hamilton
The Insolvency Service expects to deal with about 36,000 new insolvencies in 1992–93 and against this background I look to it to preserve the very considerably efficiency gains it has already achieved. The service will continue to bring proceedings for the disqualification of directors of failed companies where these are in the public interest, and to submit prosecution reports where there is evidence of criminal behaviour.
The quality of service targets for 1992–93 are:

to report to creditors on assets and liabilities within nine weeks in at least 75 per cent. of all cases.

to hold the initial meeting of creditors within 12 weeks in at least 80 per cent. of all cases.

to check and action at least 95 per cent. of payment requisitions within 10 days or by the due date.

to submit reports within 10 months in at least 80 per cent. of cases where there is evidence of criminality.

to submit disqualification reports within 15 months in at least 80 per cent. of cases where there is evidence of unfit conduct by directors.

I have set it a target of completing the administration of at least 24,000 cases in 1992–93.
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I would like to congratulate the chief executive and his staff on their success last year in handling a considerably increased workload whilst managing to achieve most of their targets. For 1992–93, I have asked the chief executive to ensure a consolidation of the productivity gains already made. At the same time I have raised the target for a reduction in real terms of the average unit cost of the initial stage for bankruptcies and liquidations to 45 per cent. over the period 1990–91 to 1992–93.

§ Mr. Milligan
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what targets have been set for the Companies House executive agency for 1992–93.

§ Mr. Neil Hamilton
The chief executive of Companies House has been set the following quality of service and financial performance targets:

to make all documents available for public inspection within a maximum of five working days of receipt in Companies House;

to provide a two-hour search service for all customers, and to provide a one hour search service to all customers by April 1994;

to achieve a compliance rate for companies filing accounts and annual returns of 86 per cent. by June 1993 and 90 per cent. by June 1994;

to reduce real unit costs by 2 per cent. in 1992–93;

to achieve a 6 per cent. average annual return in the form of an operating surplus expressed as a percentage of average net assets employed at current values.

Executive agency status has led to significant improvements in efficiency and in the standard of service provided to Companies House's customers. The adoption of trading fund status last October has further increased the quality and flexibility of the agency's financial management, placing its finances on a more commercial footing.
The targets which I have set are designed to ensure that Companies House builds on these improvements in its performance, by requiring further increases in efficiency and improvements in the rate of compliance.