§ Mr. CashTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list those bodies currently with agency status within his Department under the "next steps" initiative; and whether he has identified any further candidates for agency status under the initiative within his Department.
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§ Mr. Kenneth CarlisleDefence organisations currently operating as "next steps" agencies are as follows:
When launched Executive agencies Meteorological Office April 1990 Defence Research Agency April 1991 Defence support agencies Hydrographic Office April 1990 Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment April 1991 Directorate General Defence Accounts April 1991 Military Survey April 1991 RAF Maintenance Group April 1991 Service Children's Schools (North West Europe) April 1991 We plan to move ahead as quickly as possible with the identification and establishment of further agencies in the defence support area. This work will take into account developments in the structure and organisation of the services and the Ministry of Defence as a result of the continuing work on the broad proposals on "Options for Change" which were announced last July.