Next Steps Agencies

HC Deb 31 January 1995 vol 253 cc616-7W

Mr. Kaufman

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if he will set out for each of the next steps agencies in his Department, whether they have acquired their own headquarters buildings and, if so, at what purchase cost or annual rental; how many support staff they have required which were not required when their operations were within his Department; how many of them publish periodical journals and at what annual cost; how many have fleets of executive cars or single executive cars and at what annual cost; how many have specially designed logos and at what cost; how many have corporate clothing and at what cost; and what is the cost of specially designed and printed corporate stationery.

Mr. Dorrell

As indicated in the respective agency framework documents, it is for the chief executives to respond on operational and managerial matters and their respective replies are reproduced.

In 1993–94, Historic Royal Palaces met or exceeded all its key performance targets including achieving a 2 per cent. target for an efficiency gain on running costs. For the same year, Royal Parks met all but one of its key performance targets, including achieving a 1.5 per cent. target for an efficiency gain on running costs. The one missed target was due to circumstances beyond the Royal Parks' control.

Prior to the creation of these two agencies, central functions were provided by the Department of the Environment. In view of the expenditure transfers between Departments when my Department was established in April 1992 and the provision of some central services on an allied basis without repayment, details of these could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Letter from David Welsh to Mr. Gerald Kaufman, dated 25 January 1995: The Secretary of State for National Heritage has asked me to reply to your Question about the changes in the operations and costs of managing the Royal Parks that have become necessary since we became a Next Steps Agency. The Agency moved into the Police Station in Hyde Park. Since this building belongs to the Royal Parks, no rental is involved. We required eight staff to provide personnel, registry and reception functions that were previously provided by the Department of Environment. The Agency's logo cost £16,000 to design, and we spend £7,500 on supplying stationery for a year. We produce a brochure each year informing the public of the programme of free entertainment available in the Royal Parks. This cost £9,000 to produce and is available free to the public. The Agency has no corporate clothing and has no executive cars.

Letter from David Beeton to Mr. Gerald Kaufman, dated 26 January 1995: The Secretary of State for National Heritage has asked me to reply to your question about the changes in the operation and costs of managing the Historic Royal Palaces that have become necessary since we became a Next Steps Agency. We have not acquired any headquarters building and have not acquired any additional support staff. We do not publish periodical journals and have no executive cars. Our identities for each palace are based on a relevant Royal Coat of Arms. Staff uniforms cost £150,000 a year (including Yeoman Warders, Jewel House Warders at Hampton Court and Kensington Palace and shop and ticketing staff). The annual cost of specially designed stationery is £17,000.