HC Deb 13 July 1993 vol 228 cc434-5W
Mr. Tredinnick

To ask the President of the Board of Trade, what targets he has set the Laboratory of the Government Chemist for 1993–94.

Mr. McLoughlin

The Laboratory of the Government Chemist's primary target will continue to be to recover its full costs from income for customer work. This is a demanding target: in addition to the fact that the laboratory is now required to operate in an increasingly competitive market, it also expects to reduce its controllable costs by 2 per cent. this year.

I have also set it the following secondary targets for 1993–94: to increase the rate of completion of reports on analysis of/research into samples by the date agreed with customers from 88 per cent. in the first quarter to over 90 per cent. in the last quarter; to achieve more than 85 per cent. of contract research milestones within the time scale agreed with the customer; to maintain accreditation from the national measurement accreditation service—NAMAS—for the existing categories of work and obtain NAMAS accreditation for at least one further category of work by April 1994; and to acquire laboratory-wide accreditation to BS 5750—ISO 9001—by April 1994.

In addition, I have set the chief executive of the agency the personal target of replying within 10 working days to letters from hon. Members delegated to him for reply.