HC Deb 01 April 1993 vol 222 cc331-2W
Mr. Tracey

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will make a statement on the future of the Chessington computer centre.

Mr. Waldegrave

I am pleased to announce that I have today established Chessington Computer Centre as an executive agency and trading fund within my Department. The arrangements for the agency are described in full in its framework document, copies of which have been placed in the Libraries of both houses.

Chessington provides a wide range of computerised payroll, personnel, financial accounting, superannuation awarding and other administrative services to customers in central Government and the wider public sector. Over 60 per cent. of civil servants are now paid using Chessington's payroll services and all computerised superannuation awards in central Government are made on Chessington's software. Executive agency and trading fund status will allow Chessington to develop its business on sound commercial lines, thereby enabling the agency to deliver increasing improvements in its services to customers, more efficiently and effectively.

I have set Chessington Computer Centre the following key targets:

  1. (a) with the concurrence of the Treasury, the further financial target in 1993–94 of achievement of an operating surplus of £1.1 million.
  2. (b) achievement of an average 6 per cent. increase in pay clerk productivity year on year over the period 1993–94 to 1995–96;
  3. (c) for 1993–94, achievement of online availability of 97.5 per cent for all services; and
  4. (d) over the period to 1995–96, meeting the quality of service standards agreed with customers in their customer service agreements.

Chessington is a definite candidate for privatisation. It is not being privatised immediately due to a lack of a commercial track record and of direct competition. Consideration of privatisation has been deferred to 1995 to give time for Chessington to establish its trading performance and for private sector competition to develop.

I have appointed Mr. Robert Edwards to be chief executive of Chessington. He will be directly accountable to me for the management and performance of Chessington. I wish him and all the staff of Chessington every success for the future.