§ Mr. RedmondTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will list, for the last 12 months, the titles of papers published by the chief executive of each executive agency for which he is responsible;
(2) if he will list the fact-finding visits made in the last 12 months by the chief executive of each executive agency for which he is responsible; and what were the findings resulting from each visit;
(3) if he will list by grade the numbers of staff and their cost for 1991–92 and the estimated figures for 1992–93 for each executive agency for which he is responsible.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeResponsibility for these matters has been delegated to the agencies concerned: the Forensic Science Service, the United Kingdom Passport Agency and the Fire Service College. I have asked the chief executive of each of these agencies to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from Mr. B. L. Fuller to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 2 November 1992:
FACT FINDING VISITS AND PUBLICATIONS
The Secretary of State has asked the individual Chief Executives of the Executive Agencies within the Home Department to write directly to you in answer to your two Parliamentary Questions about fact finding visits which we have made and the papers we have published during the last 12 months. I am replying as the Chief Executive of the Fire Service College which became an Executive Agency and Trading Fund on 1 April 1992.
Although the College's principal customer is and always will be the United Kingdom Fire Service, one of our other business objectives is to expand the training we provide to industry, commerce and overseas fire brigades. In that connection I have made fact finding visits during the last 12 months to the United States and the Netherlands, and the Deputy Commandant of the College has made similar visits to several countries in Europe, the Middle and Far East, and Africa. Their purpose was to promote the College and assess the opportunities for new business.
130WThe visits raised the College's profile in the countries concerned and confirmed that in many instances they have a significant need for fire related training which we could meet. The College's Marketing Department is following up the enormous interest the visits have generated in an attempt to win training contracts. These efforts have already met with considerable success.
I have not formally published any papers within this period. However, I did give a paper at the "Industrial Fire World Exposition" in Texas in April this year which was subsequently reported widely in the United States.
I hope this is helpful.
As decided by the Administration Committee of the House of Commons, Chief Executive replies to written Parliamentary Questions will be published in the Official Report. I will also place a copy of this letter in the Library of the House.
Letter from Dr. Janet Thompson to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 2 November 1992:
You recently tabled three Parliamentary Questions seeking information about agencies. As you know, the arrangement now is that the Chief Executive of an Executive Agency, with the agreement of the Minister, replies to Members of Parliament on operational matters. I am therefore replying on behalf of the Forensic Science Service (FSS).
The FSS gained Agency Status on 1 April 1991 and at the same time a system of direct charging was introduced. Since then I have made several visits to outside organisations to bring their experience to bear here. During the past twelve months I have spent 2 days with executives at Hoskins Group PLC in order to gain a wider understanding of organisation development and customer relations. I have also visited Forensic laboratories in the Netherlands as well as United Kingdom laboratories to contribute to an exchange of information on forensic matters.
Your second Question concerns papers published by Chief Executives. The FSS Central Research and Support Establishment based at the Aldermaston laboratory circulates its research papers to a limited number of law enforcement agencies worldwide but these are not generally available and could not be described as published in the wider sense. Individuals are on occasion permitted to publish their research papers in the scientific press under their own names. The FSS is very shortly to publish its first annual report since becoming an agency. A copy will be placed in the House of Commons Library.
Your third Question asked about the number of staff in the FSS by grade, and their cost, in 1991–92, and an estimate for 1992–93. The information is enclosed in tabular form. The figures for staff show the average staff in post over each year.
131W
Forensic Science Service Staff costs by grade 1991–92 Grade Average staff in post Salary and ERNIC Superannuation Total cost 3 0.50 32,764 5,013 37,777 4 0.50 26,154 4,002 30,166 5 4.50 198,010 30,448 229,458 6 5.50 201,695 30,859 232,554 7 68.13 2,074,837 317,465 2,392,402 SSO 130.63 3,080,975 472,919 3,563,895 HSO 130.00 2,501,102 382,889 2,883,771 SO 107.63 1,604,119 250,884 1,855,002 ASO 52.38 580,094 80,727 670,821 SEO 0.25 5,981 935 6,916 HEO 0.75 12,642 1,977 14,819 EO 8.13 105,338 16,475 121,812 AO 13.13 144,822 22,650 167,473 AA 13.50 181,178 28,338 209,515 SPS 0.75 12,012 1,879 13,881 PS 12.00 156,965 24,549 181,514 TYP 17.25 209,327 32,739 242,066 SGB2 20.50 172,027 26,905 198,932 SGB1 1.75 17,968 2,810 20,778 PTO 4.25 61,560 9,628 71,188 Total 598.00 11,390,669 1,753,870 13,144,539
Forensic Science Service Staff costs by grade: 1992–93 Grade Average staff in post Salary and ERNIC Superannuation Total costs 3 1.00 67,625 8,216 75,841 5 5.00 227,123 27,595 254,718 6 5.00 190,961 23,202 214,163 7 64.25 2,054,776 249,655 2,304,431 SSO 125.50 3,234,274 392,964 3,527,238 HSO 143.88 2,737,941 992,660 3,070,801 SO 110.13 1,715,343 268,230 1,983,623 ASO 45.50 535,810 83,801 619,810 SEO 1.00 25,120 3,929 29,049 HEO 1.25 22,124 3,460 25,584 EO 10.50 142,934 22,355 165,289 AO 18.88 160,752 25,142 185,894 AA 19.75 192,676 30,135 222,811 SPS 1.00 16,817 2,680 19,447 PS 16.75 214,253 33,609 247,762 TYP 17.60 222,979 34,874 257,853 SGB2 19.63 232,933 36,431 269,384 SGB1 1.00 12,088 1,891 13,978 TG1 2.50 136,122 21,289 157,411 PTO 4.50 68,442 10,704 79,146 Total 607 12,211,092 1,612,722 18,828,813 Letters from Mr. J. E. Hayzeldean to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 30 October 1992:
FACT FINDING VISITS
The Home Secretary has asked me to write to you in response to your Parliamentary Question about fact-finding visits by me in my capacity as chief executive of the United Kingdom Passport Agency.
In the last 12 months, I have visited all the regional Passport Offices in Belfast, Glasgow, Liverpool, London, Newport and Peterborough. In addition I have visited other towns and cities in the UK to meet suppliers and other organisations with which the Passport Agency has dealings. The findings from these visits have been fed into the Passport Agency's corporate and business plans.
PUBLICATIONS
The Home Secretary has asked me to write to you in response to your Parliamentary Question about publications by the UK Passport Agency in the last 12 months. Apart from the normal passport application forms and guidance notes, we have published the following:
- Corporate plan 1992–95
- Business plan 1992–93
- Summary of targets and plans
- Publicity leaflet (Beat the Rush).
We hope shortly to be publishing our Annual Report and Accounts for 1991–92.
Letter from J. Hayzeldean to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 3 November 1992: