Executive Agencies (Hansard, 5 April 1995)

§ Mr. Freeman

[holding answer 4 April 1995]: I have asked the chief executives of the agencies to write to the hon. Member.

Letter from Jim Drew to Mr. Paul Flynn, dated 5 April 1995: I have been asked to reply, as Chief Executive of the Army Base Repair Organisation (ABRO), to your recent Parliamentary Question 1151W asking the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the jobs that have been lost to agencies in his Department in the past two years that have a) been taken over by contractors and b) disappeared. Since ABRO was launched as a Defence Agency on 1 April 1993, no jobs have been lost as a result of being taken over by contractors. The number of staff in the Organisation has however reduced from 3800 to 3379. A significant proportion of the reduction has been in military posts—the result of a combination of efficiency savings and a policy of transferring military posts to units providing first and second line support to Army field units. The remaining reduction is attributable to efficiency measures undertaken at the Agency's workshops.

I hope that you find this information useful.

Letter from Peter Trevelyan to Mr. Paul Flynn, dated 3 April 1995: Minister (DP) has asked me to write to you on behalf of the Defence Accounts Agency in reply to your Parliamentary Question, number 7171G, in which you asked for a list of the jobs that have been lost to Agencies in the Ministry of Defence in the past two years that have (a) been taken over by contractors and (b) disappeared. The Defence Accounts Agency was formed four years ago with a staff of about 2,000. Since its formation no further jobs have been transferred to it by the Ministry of Defence. The Defence Accounts Agency has neither been taken over by a contractor nor disappeared. I hope that this reply is satisfactory.

Letter from Paul Altobell to Mr. Paul Flynn, dated 5 April 1995:

PQ NO 717IG The Secretary of State for Defence has asked me to reply to your question about jobs lost to agencies in the past two years. Taking the individual parts of your question, the Defence Analytical Services Agency has:

a. had no jobs taken over by contractors
b. disestablished 29 posts as part of the Department wide PROSPECT initiative.

Letter from Andrew Roache to Mr. Paul Flynn, dated 5 April 1995: The Secretary of State for Defence has asked me to reply to your Parliamentary Question No 7171G, where you ask to list the jobs that have been lost to agencies in his Department in the past two years that have a) been taken over by contractors and b) disappeared. I have interpreted your question to mean jobs lost from the agency during this period. Since the Defence Animal Centre (DAC) was launched as a Defence Agency in June 1993, no jobs have been lost as a result of being taken over by contractors. As a result of the MOD-wide Options for Change initiative and Defence Costs Study measures 46 military posts have been lost with effect I April 1995.

I hope you find this information useful.

Letter from John Chisholm to Mr. Paul Flynn, dated 5 April 1995: 1. In today's written answer the Minister for State for Defence Procurement informed you that I would be replying to your question concerning job losses in the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (DERA). DERA was formed on 1 April 1995 to bring together most of the MOD's non-nuclear science and technology resources and it includes three former MOD agencies, the Defence Research Agency (DRA), the Defence Operational Analysis Centre (DOAC), and the Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment (CBDE). 2. As Chief Executive of DERA I now have responsibility for all these areas. All three agencies have undergone some structural changes as a result of their incorporation into DERA and there may be some reduction in numbers resulting from the formation of the new agency. Specific figures are not yet available. 3. Between April 1993 and March 1995 there were 62 job losses at DOAC and 17 job losses at CBDE, none of which were contractorised; the savings have been achieved through efficiencies. 4. The reduction in posts in the Defence Research Agency between April 1993 and March 1995 amount to 1600 of which 390 1152W were redeployed, the majority within DRA. These reductions have arisen from a combination of a reduction in demand for services as the disciplines of hard charging for services have led to more critical scrutiny of real need by customers, and, efficiency improvements achieved through rationalisation and streamlined processes aimed at reduced cost and improved quality. These reductions have been primarily in the support services area and comprise around 1595 full time posts whose functions have been discontinued and 5 posts which have been transferred to contractors. 5. I hope you will find this information useful.

Letter from Richard Kirby to Mr. Paul Flynn, dated 4 April 1995: I have been asked by the Minister for Defence Procurement to reply to your Parliamentary Question about Defence Agency job losses. As the Chief Executive of the Defence Clothing and Textiles Agency (DCTA) I can brief you on the aspects affecting this area of business. I am pleased to say that the formation of the DCTA, on 22 November 1994, has not generated any job losses, either internally or in the private sector. Planned future re-structuring of the Agency, collocating to a single site in early 1996, together with the requirements of Defence Cost Study exercises will however undoubtedly lead to a streamlining of the business structure which in time will lead to a number of posts being lost within the organisation. We would expect these changes to be achieved through natural processes, without redundancy.

Letter from Tweedie M. Brown to Mr. Paul Flynn, dated 5 April 1995: The Secretary of State for Defence has asked me to reply to your question about jobs transferred to agencies in the past 2 years. As of 1 March 1995, the Defence Postal and Courier Services Defence Agency had 487 military and civilian personnel in post. This is a reduction, in the past 2 years, of 33 of which 23 were taken over by contractors.

Letter from Keith Ellender to Mr. Paul Flynn, dated 5 April 1995:

PARLIAMENTARY QUESTION: AGENCIES AND JOB IOSSES I have been asked to reply to your question to the Secretary of State for Defence as to the number of jobs that have been lost to agencies in his Department in the past two years that have (a) been taken over by contractors and (b) disappeared, as it affects my Agency. There has been a reduction of nine posts–5 UK based Civilians and 4 locally engaged employees in the Disposal Sales Agency as a result of contractorisation of the sales disposal function in Germany.

Letter from G. H. Wilson to Mr. Paul Flynn, dated 3 April 1995: I have been asked to reply to your PQ 7171G. In response to your request to list the jobs that have been lost to agencies in the Ministry of Defence in the past two years, the Duke of York's Royal Military School has lost the following:

(a) 0.5 (Steward). Taken over by contractor.
(b) 1.5 (Housemaids). Disappeared.
(c) 1.0 (Instructor Officer). Disappeared.

Letter from S. Parnell to Mr. Paul Flynn, dated 5 April 1995:

PARLIAMENTARY QUESTION—PQ 7171G You recently asked The Secretary of State for Defence to list the jobs that have been lost to agencies in his Department in the past two years that have (a) been taken over by contractors and (b) disappeared. During the period 1 April 1993 to 31 March 1995 the number of staff directly employed by the Hydrographic Office Defence Agency has reduced by 29. No jobs were lost to contractors. All reductions are ascribed to efficiency improvements.

Letter from Alan Pollard to Mr. Paul Flynn, dated 5 April 1995:

PARLIAMENTARY QUESTION—AGENCIES AND JOB LOSSES 1153W The Logistic Information System Agency was formed on 21 November 1994. No jobs were lost or transferred to a contractor upon formation. In accordance with the Government's Competing for Quality programme we are considering how best to carry out our "non-core" activities. Current proposals envisage the transfer of these activities to a civilian partner. If this is followed through we see about 150 posts being transferred. The final numbers are not yet firm. Following transfer all transferred staff will continue to work on our sites under a "Government Owned Contractor Operated" (GOCO) arrangement, although the GOCO status will be reviewed at an appropriate time. We have no plans to cut the remaining staff in the Agency.

Letter from Martyn Bittleston to Mr. Paul Flynn, dated 5 April 1995: On behalf of the Chief Executive, who is out of the country at the moment, I have been asked to amplify the Minister's response to your recent Parliamentary Question concerning contractorisation. In the Meteorological Office

a. No jobs have been taken over by contractors in the past 2 years.
b. The total number of jobs has fallen from 2526 to 2299 in the 2 years to 31 March 1995. A net loss of 227.

Letter from Brigadier A. J. Hoon to Mr. Paul Flynn, dated 3 April 1994: I understand that you have asked the Secretary of State for Defence to list the jobs that have been lost to agencies in his Department in the past two years. Acting on behalf of the Chief Executive of Military Survey I have been asked to reply with regard to this Agency. As a Defence Agency, remaining in the defence chain of command, I can identify no job losses to Military Survey in the past two years.

Letter from W. S. Graham to Mr. Paul Flynn, dated 4 April 1995: 1. The Secretary of State for Defence has asked me to reply to your Parliamentary Question concerning jobs that have been lost to Agencies in his Department for the past 2 years. 2. My response to your 2 part question is as follows:

a. There are no jobs in the NARO Defence Agency that have been taken over by contractors.
b. The size of workforce of this Agency is task related and is therefore subject to minor fluctuations, but has however increased overall in the past 3 years.

Letter from Brian Raine to Mr. Paul Flynn, dated 4 April 1995: The Secretary of State for Defence has asked me to reply to your Parliamentary Question No. 7171G about Agencies and Job Losses. At Queen Victoria School no jobs have been taken over by contractors or lost in the past 2 years. I hope this answers your question satisfactorily but if there is anything on which you would like me to elaborate please do not hesitate to contact me.

Letter from Air Vice-Marshall R. H. Kyle to Mr. Paul Flynn, dated 5 April 1995: You asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he would list the jobs that have been lost to agencies in his Department in the past two years that have (a) been taken over by contractors and (b) disappeared. The Maintenance Group Defence Agency manpower figures have reduced progressively for several years. The average figures for each year are reported in the Agency's Annual Report and Accounts. Figures taken from the last three reports, together with the latest available figures, are:

1154W

	1991–92	1992–93	1993–94	1 February 1995
Service	7,500	6,800	6,634	4,760
Civilian	6,100	6,000	5,679	4,575
Total	13,600	12,800	12,313	9,335

A major reorganisation within the Ministry of Defence took place on 1 April 1994. As part of this process, 1,978 Service and 947 civilian posts were transferred from the Maintenance Group Defence Agency to another area.

There have been no jobs within the Agency that have been lost to contractors in the past 2 years. The other reductions in jobs that have occurred have been as a result of efficiency savings and the effects of the ending of the Cold War.

Letter from David Rennison to Mr. Paul Flynn, dated 4 April 1995: I write on behalf of the Chief Executive of the Royal Air Force Signals Engineering Establishment (RAFSEE) in response to your Parliamentary Question No. 7171G to the Secretary of State for Defence. Since becoming a Defence Agency on 22 November 1994 no jobs have disappeared or been taken over by contractors.

Letter from I. S. Mitchelson to Mr. Paul Flynn, dated 5 April 1995: 1. I have been asked to reply to your question concerning the jobs that have been lost from Agencies in the past two years—in this instance with particular regard to Children's Schools (North West Europe) Defence Agency. 2. This Agency has:—

(a) had no jobs taken over by Contractors; and
(b) lost 492 teaching posts (inclusive of UK based/locally enrolled, full time equivalent) in the last two years as a result of the Drawdown of British Forces in Germany and the subsequent closure of schools and falling rolls at those remaining. Additionally there has been a loss of 311 locally employed non-teaching staff. These figures reflect the last two years, beginning 1 April 1993.

Letter from Air Vice-Marshal J. A. G. May to Mr. Paul Flynn, dated 5 April 1995:

PARLIAMENTARY QUESTION No. PQ7171G

—TRAINING GROUP DEFENCE AGENCY REPLY The Minister of State for Defence Procurement has asked me to reply to the question you asked of him in respect of Defence Agencies and Job Losses. I am able to tell you that no Training Group jobs have been transferred to contractors since the launch of Training Group Defence Agency on 1 April 1994. I am able to tell you, too, that no Training Group jobs have "disappeared" since the same date. I am copying this letter to the Agency's owner, the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief Personnel & Training Command.