§ Mr. FlightTo ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list the performance targets that(a) his Department and (b) its agencies and non-departmental public bodies are required to meet; and if he will specify for each target (i) who sets it and (ii) who monitors achievement against it. [137965]
§ Yvette CooperKey performance targets for the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister are agreed as part of the Spending Review and the latest set were published in Spending Review 2002: Public Service Agreements 2003–06 (Cm 5571). The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister monitors progress towards the target along with HM Treasury and PMDU and progress is reported regularly.
Ministers set the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's executive agencies' key targets for 2003–04. These either were or will be announced to Parliament through written ministerial statements—details are as set out as follows. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister regularly monitors performance against each agency's targets. All of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's agencies publish an Annual Report and Accounts at the end of the financial year, which report on their performance against their targets.
I refer the hon. Member to the statements on the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's agencies' targets as given on:
1297W
- 13 March 2003, Official Report, column 26WS: The Rent Service
- 11 April 2003, Official Report, columns 35–36WS: Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre
- 11 June 2003, Official Report, columns 47–48WS: Planning Inspectorate
The Fire Service College's targets are expected to be announced shortly. In addition, while Ordnance Survey is a department in its own right, with executive agency status, it reports to the Ministers of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. The statement on its targets for 2003–04 was given on 11 April 2003, Official Report, column 35WS.
The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister sponsors nine executive non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs); the Audit Commission, English Partnerships, four Housing Action Trusts (Castle Vale, Liverpool, Stonebridge and Tower Hamlets), the Housing Corporation, the Standards Board for England and Thurrock Urban Development Corporation.
Performance targets for executive NDPBs sponsored by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, including outputs to be achieved, are agreed by Ministers and set out in the published business or corporate plan of the NDPB. Copies of plans are available from the relevant body. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister monitors performance against these targets and progress is discussed with Ministers. The outputs and achievements of each executive NDPB are set out in its annual report, a copy of which is available in the Library of the House.
The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister sponsors seven advisory NDPBs; the Advisory Panel on Beacon Councils, the Advisory Panel on Standards for the Planning Inspectorate, the Building Regulations Advisory Committee, the Community Forum, the Property Advisory Group, the Parliamentary Boundary Commission for England and Parliamentary Boundary Commission for Wales.
No performance targets are set for the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's advisory NDPBs. Each advisory body normally sets its own programme of work for each year within its remit to advise Ministers on the particular policy area and agrees this with the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. No formal monitoring of performance takes place for these advisory bodies but outputs are set out in each body's annual report.