HC Deb 22 January 1990 vol 165 cc579-80W
Mr. Dalyell

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what accounts and bill-paying functions are currently performed by the Property Services Agency at Hastings; how many staff are engaged on this work; and what arrangements are being considered for the future of this work and the staff.

Mr. Chope

Currently 366 staff are employed on the following accounts and bill-paying functions by the Property Services Agency at Hastings:

  1. a. Payment of contractors' accounts for construction and maintenance work at civil central Government properties and defence establishments, including United States bases, in the United Kingdom.
  2. b. Payment of fees to consultants engaged by PSA and suppliers of materials and equipment.
  3. c. Payment of gas, water and electricity accounts for the central Government civil estate.
  4. d. Payment of rents for leasehold civil estate properties.
  5. e. Calculation and payment of salaries to PSA and DOE non-industrial staff.
  6. f. Payment of travelling etc claims to PSA employees.
    7. 580
  7. g. Invoicing clients for works services supplied on payment terms, tenants for rents and services charges, and government departments for accommodation, gas, water and electricity charges on the civil estate.
  8. h. Maintenance of costing, management information and vote accounting records, the latter incorporating expenditure by PSA overseas.
  9. i. Supply of information about expenditure on properties and projects, administration cost budgets, vote subheads to PSA divisions.
  10. j. Supply of expenditure information to other departments.
  11. k. Operation of resource costing management information systems, and supply of information.
Firm decisions have not yet been taken about the location of the accounting functions which will support the operating divisions of PSA Services and Property Holdings, but it is likely that some functions will be dispersed to local units of the operating divisions. Responsibility for the payment of gas, water and electricity accounts is currently being transferred to Departments. The agency will make every effort to find other posts, in PSA or in other Departments, for staff whose posts are no longer required as a result of these changes.

Mr. Dalyell

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what work DITMOS is carrying out for the Property Services Agency; how many staff are engaged on this work; when the work will be complete; and what arrangements will be made to find alternative work for DITMOS staff.

Mr. Chope

PSA's directorate of information technology management and office systems (DITMOS) provides the agency with a range of IT and business support services. Its headquarters is in Hastings and it currently has some 490 staff in post. This number is likely to reduce over the next two to three years. It will then stabilise at a level reflecting the need for continuing systems support.

Mr. Dalyell

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he intends to keep open the option of compulsorily transferring the Property Services Agency's executive, administrative and support staff to the Government-owned company.

Mr. Chope

If PSA is incorporated as a Government-owned company it is intended that the staff in it will be transferred by a scheme under clause I of the Property Services Agency and Crown Suppliers Bill. The PSA will use its best endeavours, in advance of that incorporation, to find other posts within Government for staff who do not wish to transfer.