§ Mr. David NicholsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what key targets have been set for 1993–94 for the Hydrographic Office defence support agency.
§ Mr. Archie HamiltonThe Chief of Fleet Support, acting as the owner of the agency on behalf of my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Defence under the terms of the agency's framework document, has set the following key targets for this financial year.
On quality of service, the chief executive is required to continue to ensure that all urgent dangers to navigation are promulgated by radio navigational warnings within 20 hours of receipt of the information. He is also required to improve the state of revision of Admiralty navigational charts and publications in waters of United Kingdom national responsibility so that at 1 April 1994, 80 per cent. will have been revised or reviewed and found to need no revision, within the previous 10 years. The chief executive is also required to achieve his endorsed and funded programme of work as set by the Ministry of Defence Hydrographic Board.
In respect of financial targets, the chief executive is to seek to minimise the level of Exchequer support by achieving 72 per cent. cost recovery.