§ Mr. FieldTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what the savings were that the Debt Accounting and Management System was projected to achieve in(a) the first year of operation and (b) each of the four subsequent years; [151484]
(2) what the sums allocated to the Debt Accounting and Management System were in each year of its design and implementation; [151485]
549W(3) if he will list the private sector firms with which he has contracts for the strategic debt solution, stating in each case the monetary value and nature of the contract; [151487]
(4) what funds have been allocated by his Department for the strategic debt solution for each year between 1990–2000 and 2002–03; [151486]
(5) when the strategic debt solution began operation. [151488]
§ Mr. RookerThe potential benefits that the Debt Accounting and Management System (DAMS) would provide in improved management of debt from first year of live running, initially planned for 1999–2000, are in the table.
£ million Savings area Increased recoveries Administration savings 1999–2000 15.43 9.70 2000–01 14.01 9.61 2001–02 9.01 9.31 2002–03 9.01 9.31 2003–04 9.01 9.31 Under part II, paragraph 13 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information, information on the sums allocated to DAMS is not available as it is commercial in confidence.
There are no private sector firms with which the Department has contracts for the strategic debt solution. Following on from termination of DAMS development, in order to meet the demands of debt management, financial and business control, a fundamentally different strategy has been developed.
A Strategic Debt Solution (SDS) project was set up after DAMS. Its purpose was not to deliver IT but to take forward the operational control and compliance improvements, to maintain and improve business outputs following DAMS, and at the same time research, drive out and document root causes for weaknesses surrounding debt management and recommend strategic resolutions for these root causes.
The long-term vision is replacement of all legacy systems through service modernisation, but only after the debt organisation has undergone considerable business change and consolidation.
Funds were allocated for this work, to be taken forward as the SDS project as follows:
£ million 1999–2000 0.936 2000–01 0.679 The Strategic Debt Solution Project commenced in October 1999 and completed in October 2000, having implemented a number of controls and business improvements following DAMS termination and also recommendations and a full study for a strategic direction for debt. A Debt Programme has been established 550W to implement the business changes, starting with consolidation of the organisation under a dedicated line management.