HC Deb 08 November 1989 vol 159 cc656-7W
Mr. O'Neill

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the nature of the differences between the agency to be established for the Meteorological Office and the defence support agency to be established for the Hydrographic Office at Taunton.

Mr. Neubert

As my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence explained in his speech in the defence debate on 18 October, at column 155, many support activities are an integral part of overall military capability and must remain within the chain of command. Nevertheless, we believe that many of these support activities can be organised on the same lines as full Next Steps agencies, within framework documents which set out the terms under which the support agencies are to be managed on a day-to-day basis. In this way, it is possible for more of the Ministry of Defence to share in the advantages of the Government's Next Steps initiative.

Mr. O'Neill

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place copies of the criteria governing the management and operation of(a) the agency to be established for the Meteorological Office and (b) the agency to be established for the Hydrographic Office in the Library.

Mr. Neubert

It is my intention to place in the Library, when these activities become agencies next year, copies of their framework documents, excluding any classified or commercially sensitive parts.