§ Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Minister for the Civil Service if he will publish 207W the results of Sir Derek Rayner's projects on the specific operations of the Government's Departments; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. ChannonThese projects are the responsibility of departmental Ministers whom Sir Derek Rayner is assisting. Results will be made public in due course.
PROJECTS CARRIED OUT IN GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF SIR DEREK RAYNER Department Topic Home Office … … … Work of the Radio Regulatory Department. Lord Chancellor's Department … Attachment of earnings procedure in the County Courts. Foreign and Commonwealth Office Merger of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the former Ministry of Overseas Development. Her Majesty's Treasury … … Paper handling and registry systems. Inland Revenue … … … PAYE movements procedures. Customs and Excise … … Organisation of London and South East Collections. Department for National Savings Handling of correspondence with the public. Department of Industry (joint project with Department of Trade). Statistical services of the Departments of Industry and Trade. Ministry of Defence … … Food procurement for the Armed Forces. Civil Service Department … Charging for courses at the Civil Service College. Department of Employment (including Manpower Services Commission). Peaking of work and use of part-time staff in unemployment benefit offices. Part-time local benefit and small full-time unemployment benefit offices. Review of training allowances (MSC). Review of skillcentre network (MSC). Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. Administration of Farm Capital Grants. Department of the Environment (including Property Services Agency). Provision of Management Information for Ministers. Maintenance of the government estate in the Bath Area (PSA). Energy Conservation on the Government Estate (PSA). Estate Management in Kingston (PSA). Scottish Office … … … Review of the Consultative Committee on the Curriculum. Welsh Office … … … Control over Highway Authorities. Control over Local Education Authority building. Northern Ireland Office … … Public Debt. Rate Collection. Department of Health and Social Security Arrangements for paying social security benefits. Department of Trade … … Services to exporters. Department of Energy … … Organisation of research and development in new energy technologies. Department of Education and Science. Administration of the Teachers' Pension Scheme. Department of Transport … … Arrangements for the promotion and management of trunk road and motorway schemes. 208W
PROGRAMME OF FUTURE SCRUTINIES IN GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS Department Topic Home Office … … … To be decided. Lord Chancellor's Department … To be decided. Foreign and Commonwealth Office Arrangements for providing and maintaining transport for Diplomatic Service posts overseas. Review of Directorate of Overseas Surveys. Her Majesty's Treasury … … Monitoring of central Government expenditure. Inland Revenue … … … Annual issue of PAYE deduction cards. Procedures for rating proposals and appeals. Use of accounts registers in tax districts. Her Majesty's Customs and Excise To be decided. Department for National Savings To be decided. Department of Industry … … Administration of the Regional Development Grant Scheme. Ministry of Defence … … Arrangements for provision of secondary education for children of Service and Ministry of Defence personnel overseas. Provision of assisted travel schemes and Ministry of Defence establishment bus fleets. Requirement for, and the role and organisation of the Claims Commission. Management of internal efficiency and organisation.
§ Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Minister for the Civil Service if he will list the projects carried out in each Government Department under the guidance of Sir Derek Rayner; and what further exercises are being carried out or planned.
§ Mr. ChannonThe information is as follows:
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Department Topic Civil Service Department … Effectiveness of technical services of the Central Computer and Telecommunications Agency. Department of Employment … The delivery of unemployment and supplementary benefit to unemployed people (Joint scrutiny with the Department of Health and Social Security). Manpower Services Commission To be decided. Health and Safety Executive … Problems of assessing costs and benefits of health and safety requirements, and techniques available. Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. Enforcement of grading regulations for eggs and fresh horticultural produce. Department of the Environment (including the Property Services Agency). Arrangements for the financial control of the water industry. Regional organisation serving the Departments of the Environment and Transport (Joint scrutiny with Department of Transport). Requirement for a works transport fleet (PSA) Scottish Office … … … Advisory and monitoring activities of the Scottish Development Department with respect to local planning authorities. Forestry Commission … … Administration of (i) private woodlands grant scheme and (ii) licensing of felling. Welsh Office … … … Procedures for processing of major National Health Service building projects. Northern Ireland Office … … Operation of financial control within the Northern Ireland Departments and the Northern Ireland Office. Department of Health and Social Security. The Department's activities in support of health care exports. Validation of National Insurance contribution records. The delivery of unemployment and supplementary benefit to unemployed people (Joint scrutiny with Department of Employment). Department of Trade … … Administration of the Patent Office and Industrial Property and Copyright Department. Department of Energy … … Demand for, and resources devoted to, economic and statistical advice and services. Department of Education and Science. Administration of student awards. Paymaster General's Office … To be decided. Department of Transport … … Ways of improving the enforcement of vehicle excise duty. Procedures for setting and certifying standards for building roads and bridges. Regional organisation serving the Departments of the Environment and Transport (Joint scrutiny with the Department of the Environment).