Fact-finding Visits (Hansard, 17 November 1992)

§ Mr. Howard

Responsibility for the subject of the question has been delegated to my executive agencies 119W under their chief executives. I have asked Mr. Roger Courtney to arrange for a reply to be given for the Building Research Establishment; Professor David Rhind for the Ordnance Survey; Mr. Stephen Crow for the Planning Inspectorate; Mr. Marcus Buck for the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre; and Mr. Roger Powell for the Buying Agency.

Letter from Roger Courtney to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 29 October 1992:

The Secretary of State has asked me to respond to your question regarding fact finding visits that I have made during the last twelve months.

My recent visits are listed below:

Transport Research Laboratory (Executive Agency, Department of Transport).

National Institute for Standards and Technology, USA. Technical Research Institute, Finland, (VTT).

Such visits provide me with comparative information on sources of funding and associated policies, programme formulation and management, and operational arrangements and therefore assist the future development of BRE. Where appropriate, the scope for co-operative working is also explored, to mutual benefit. My many regular contacts with heads of research executive agencies and with my counterparts in other countries supplement these specific visits.

I would be happy to provide further information if you wish.

Letter from David Rhind to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 2 November 1992:

The Secretary of State for the Environment has asked me to reply to your question about fact finding visits made by the chief executives of agencies.

I have not made any visits which I would classify as "fact finding" since I took up my appointment as Chief Executive of Ordnance Survey in January of this year.

Letter from Stephen Crow to Mr. Martin Redmond Dated 28 October 1992:

In reply to your Parliamentary Questions, I am asked on behalf of the Secretary of State for the Environment to list both the titles of papers published by the Planning Inspectorate since it became an agency and the fact finding visits made by myself in the last 12 months; and to indicate the findings resulting from those visits. The Planning Inspectorate became an Executive Agency only on 1 April this year, and so a full 12 months have not yet elapsed.

The only Inspectorate paper published since 1 April is entitled "Good Practice at Planning Inquiries". It was published on 7 September 1992 as an Annex to Department of the Environment Circular 24/92 (Welsh Office Circular 47/92).

Since April I have made one fact finding visit, to Edinburgh and nearby, where I was shown some interesting examples of urban regeneration, and where I was able to discuss, with my opposite numbers in Scotland and Ireland, matters of mutual concern. The visit and meeting resulted in useful comparison of professional and managerial practice.

Letter from Mr. Marcus Buck to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 27 October 1992:

I am responding to your question regarding the fact finding visits undertaken during the last twelve months by Agency Chief Executives in the Department of the Environment, and the resulting findings.

During his last months in office, my predecessor, Roy Kendrick, did not undertake any fact finding visits. As Chief Executive designate I conducted a series of visits to conference centres in order to familiarise myself with the industry. My findings were not aggregated into a publishable form.

If I can be of any further assistance please do not hesitate to contact me.

120W

Letter from Roger H. Powell to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 2 November 1992:

I have been asked to reply direct to your parliamentary question regarding fact finding visits by Chief Executives.

I have undertaken no "fact finding" visits as such. I have visited a number of principal customers and suppliers but these have primarily been to promote relationships.