§ Mr. Tim Smithasked the Prime Minister whether she will announce the main conclusions on the machinery of government review of the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys.
§ The Prime MinisterI have now considered the report of the machinery of government review of the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys (OPCS) which began on 2 June. I have concluded that OPCS should remain as a separate department with its present range of activities, and that ministerial responsibility for OPCS should continue to rest with the Secretary of State for Social Services.
The report recommended a number of administrative measures to clarify the relationship between OPCS and Ministers, and to ensure that the work OPCS undertakes for customer Departments properly reflects their requirements and priorities on a value for money basis. The measures recommended include the development of a clear statement of objectives and targets for OPCS, together with systems for monitoring and reporting results to Ministers, more rigorous repayment arrangements with the general objective of ensuring that customer Departments pay for work commissioned from OPCS's social survey division, a testing of the ability of private sector firms to undertake a wider range of Government social surveys, and an examination of the scope for greater efficiency in the provision of administrative support functions to OPCS. I have asked my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Services to take the lead in pursuing the recommendations, and to commission a review of internal management and administrative support arrangements to report to him and to me by the end of March 1987.
The trade union sides at OPCS will be consulted about the implementation of these recommendations, and will be shown relevant parts of the report.