§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will list the Next Steps Agencies currently in operation, indicating the number of civil servants employed in each. [3736]
§ Dr. David ClarkThe Next Steps Agencies currently in operation and the number of civil servants employed in each is set out in the table.
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Total civil servants working in Agencies and on Next Steps lines (including Northern Ireland Civil Service and Forestry Commission) Agencies Number of civil servants1 Armed Forces Personnel Administration Agency 845 Army Base Repair Organisation 2,950 Army Base Storage and Distribution Agency 3,695 Army Individual Training Organisation 4,410 Army Personnel Centre 1,270 Army Technical Support Agency 800 Business Development Service 245 Cadw: Welsh Historic Monuments 180 CCTA 175 Central Office of Information 305 Central Science Laboratory 520 Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science 410 Civil Service College 230 COASTGUARD 655 Companies House 800 Compensation Agency 110 Construction Service 625
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Total civil servants working in Agencies and on Next Steps lines (including Northern Ireland Civil Service and Forestry Commission) Agencies Number of civil servants1 Court Service 9,200 Defence Analytical Services Agency 115 Defence Animal Centre 60 Defence Bills Agency 655 Defence Clothing and Textiles Agency 530 Defence Codification Agency 145 Defence Dental Agency 110 Defence Estate Organisation 1,170 Defence Evaluation and Research Agency 12,220 Defence Intelligence and Security Centre 105 Defence Medical Training Organisation 80 Defence Postal and Courier Services Agency 330 Defence Secondary Care Agency 585 Defence Transport and Movements Executive 140 Defence Vetting Agency 55 Disposal Sales Agency 65 Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency 3,500 Driver and Vehicle Licensing (Northern Ireland) 235 Driver and Vehicle Testing Agency 290 Driving Standards Agency 1,940 Duke of York's Royal Military School 100 Employment Service 29,180 Employment Tribunals Service 625 Environment and Heritage Service 310 Farming and Rural Conservation Agency 435 Fire Service College 215 Fisheries Research Services 205 Forensic Science Service 1,185 Forensic Science Service of Northern Ireland 120 Forest Enterprise 2,585 Forestry Commission Research Agency 310 Government Car and Despatch Agency 225 Government Property Lawyers 105 Government Purchasing Agency 65 Health Estates 120 Highways Agency 1,550 Historic Royal Palaces Agency 445 Historic Scotland 585 HM Land Registry 7,865 HM Prison Service 37,705 Industrial Research and Technology Unit 150 Insolvency Service 1,285 Intervention Board 975 Joint Air Reconnaissance Intelligence Centre 135 Land Registers of Northern Ireland 210 Logistic Information Systems Agency 165 Marine Safety Agency 315 Meat Hygiene Service 795 Medical Devices Agency 120 Medical Supplies Agency 215 Medicines Control Agency 390 Meteorological Office 2,085 Military Survey 705 Ministry of Defence Police 3,730 National Savings 4,290 National Weights and Measures Laboratory 50 Naval Aircraft Repair Organisation 1,535 Naval Bases and Supply Agency 9,170 Naval Manning Agency 85 Naval Recruiting and Training Agency 1,580 NHS Estates 145 NHS Pensions Agency 365 Northern Ireland Child Support Agency 910 Northern Ireland Prison Service 2,995 Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency 120 Office for National Statistics 2,895 Ordnance Survey 1,810 Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland 175 Patent Office 710 Pay and Personnel Agency 900
Total civil servants working in Agencies and on Next Steps lines (including Northern Ireland Civil Service and Forestry Commission) Agencies Number of civil servants1 Pesticides Safety Directorate 195 Planning Inspectorate 630 Planning Service 380 Property Advisers to the Civil Estate 200 Public Record Office 430 Public Record Office of Northern Ireland 60 Public Trust Office 550 Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre 50 Queen Victoria School 70 Radiocommunications Agency 510 RAF Logistics Support Services 445 RAF Maintenance Group Defence Agency 4,455 RAF Personnel Management Agency 215 RAF Signals Engineering Establishment 565 RAF Training Group Defence Agency 2,135 Rate Collection Agency 235 Registers of Scotland 1,065 Rivers Agency 460 Roads Service 2,140 Royal Mint 985 Royal Parks Agency 220 Scottish Agricultural Science Agency 125 Scottish Court Service 815 Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency 255 Scottish Office Pensions Agency 155 Scottish Prison Service 4,510 Scottish Record Office 120 Security Facilities Executive 575 Service Children's Education 750 Ships Support Agency 2,300 Social Security Agency (Northern Ireland) 4,630 Social Security Benefits Agency 72,005 Social Security Child Support Agency 7,860 Social Security Contributions Agency 7,380 Social Security Information Technology Services Agency 1,930 Social Security War Pensions Agency 1,195 Student Awards Agency for Scotland 120 The Buying Agency 135 Training and Employment Agency (Northern Ireland) 1,180 Treasury Solicitor's Department 375 UK Hydrographic Office 745 United Kingdom Passport Agency 1,405 Valuation and Lands Agency 280 Valuation Office 4,375 Vehicle Certification Agency 75 Vehicle Inspectorate 1,460 Veterinary Laboratories Agency 985 Veterinary Medicines Directorate 100 Water Service 2,180 Wilton Park 35 Crown Prosecution2 5,665 HM Customs and Excise2 23,070 Inland Revenue2 50,045 Serious Fraud Office2 165 Total staff 385,695 1April 1997 figures for civil servants including Northern Ireland and Forest Enterprise on the basis of full-time equivalents. Casuals are excluded. Figures are founded to the nearest five. 2Departments operating fully on Next Steps lines. Staffing figure for Inland Revenue excludes the Valuation Office.
§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many and what percentage of civil servants have been employed by Next Steps Agencies in each of the years since their establishment; and if he will make a statement. [3734]
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§ Dr. ClarkThe figures show the number and the percentage of Home Civil Servants working in Next Steps Agencies and on Next Steps lines as at 1 April of each year from 1 April 1988 to 1 April 1997.
Year Number of home civil servants working and on Next Steps lines as at 1 April Proportion of home civil servants working in Agencies and on Next Steps lines as at 1 April (per cent.) 1988 0 0 1989 5,844 1 1990 155,660 27 1991 206,870 37 1992 291,969 51 1993 240,036 61 1994 339,621 63 1995 345,342 67 1996 350,408 71 1997 364,563 77
§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many Next Steps Agencies have been in operation in each of the years since their establishment; and if he will make a statement. [3735]
§ Dr. ClarkThe first Next Steps agency was set up in August 1988. The figures listed show the number of Next Steps Agencies which have been in operation since 31 December 1988 and in each year to 31 December 1996.
Year Number of Agencies as at 31 December 1988 3 1989 10 1990 34 1991 157 1992 278 1993 294 1994 2104 1995 2111 1996 2131 1Figure includes HM Customs and Excise which is a department operating fully on Next Steps lines. 2Figure includes HM Customs and Excise and Inland Revenue which are departments operating fully on Next Steps lines.
§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what studies his Department has(a) commissioned and (b) evaluated into the efficiency of the Next Steps Agencies; and if he will make a statement. [3732]
§ Mr. ClarkIn the first instance, it is for the Minister responsible for each particular agency to ensure that it is operating efficiently and the Government's Comprehensive Spending Review will help this process. In addition, agencies submit their proposals on efficiency as part of the efficiency planning process and in the 1996 Next Steps Review published in March, there is a great deal of comparative data for agencies including an evaluation of their performance against their efficiency targets. We are committed to providing government which costs less and delivers more which includes Next Steps agencies operating efficiently by emphasising the need for training and enhancing the use of benchmarking and target setting.
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§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what action he proposes to reform the Next Steps Agencies; and if he will make a statement. [3733]
§ Dr. ClarkThe Government will continue to develop Next Steps Agencies by improving performance and efficiency in order to deliver high quality services.