§ Mr. Marplesasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list those departments in which studies of the feasibility of applying the output budgeting technique are in progress, showing in each case the date on which these studies were started and the date on which they are expected to be completed; and if he will give details of each of the major civil programmes involved.
§ Mr. Roy JenkinsYes. An initial study of the feasibility of applying output budgeting in the Department of Education and Science started in November 1967 and is nearing completion. A similar study relating to the Overseas Services and involving a number of departments, principally the Foreign Office, Commonwealth Office, Diplomatic Service Administration Office, the Ministry of Overseas Development and the Board of Trade, started last month. It is hoped to complete it by the end of the year.
In addition, the Ministries of Transport and Health are studying the feasibility and usefulness of applying this form of analysis to the programmes for which they are responsible as part of wider studies of quantitative techniques of management.
I would also refer the right hon. Gentleman to the answer which my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary gave to the hon. Member for Guildford (Mr. David Howell) on 14th May, 1968.— [Vol. 764, c. 233–4.]