HC Deb 23 November 1995 vol 267 cc260-2W
Mr. Lidington

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement about Defence Agency status for the Army's technical branches and authorities. [2475]

Mr. Soames

The Army's technical branches and authorities—aircraft branch REME, electronics branch REME, vehicles and weapons branch REME, Army scaling and cataloguing authority and the land systems technical publications authority—were subject to an internal management study in 1993. The study concluded the Army's technical branches and authorities, which provide a range of technical support services for the Army and other services, would operate more effectively as a defence agency. In the period since the study a chief executive (designate) has been appointed and a detailed analysis of technical support business has been undertaken to determine how the agency would operate.

On 16 October 1995 I agreed to the formation of the Army Technical Support Agency as a defence agency from the former technical branches and authorities. ATSA will remain part of MOD but the chief executive will have delegated executive powers to discharge his responsibilities.

ATSA comprises a headquarters in Andover and currently occupies six main sites at Middle Wallop, Malvern, Chertsey, Woolwich—two sites and Chilwell. It employs some 1,250 staff, 900 of which are civil servants, with the balance being military. A major strategy within the ATSA initiative is to reduce the number of main sites and a study is now examining the options for collation. I will be making a further announcement in due course to advise the hon. Member of developments.

ATSA contributes to the operational capability of the armed forces by providing technical advice and services, which promote efficiency in equipment support and enhance availability and supportability in the design of front-line military equipment.

ATSA has been set demanding targets. These are largely based on satisfying the customer requirement, whether it be for MOD's integrated logistic support managers working in the procurement executive, equipment support managers or the field force. The targets for the first 18 months to March 1997 are:

  • Key target 1—Be effective in influencing the design of an equipment through its life.
    • By 31 March 1996 establish a baseline and develop the target to measure ATSA's effectiveness in influencing equipment design.
    • By 31 March 1997 meet the target set.
  • Key target 2—Produce effective scales of spare parts.
    • By 31 March 1996 develop a methodology to measure effectiveness of scales covering range, depth and cost.
    • By 31 March 1997 meet the target set.
  • Key target 3—Be responsive to ad hoc (help line) technical queries.
    • By 31 March 1996 achieve 80 per cent. of queries resolved on receipt or within 2 working days with the remaining 20 per cent. acknowledged with a plan on how the query will be resolved.
    • By 31 March 1997 achieve 82 per cent.
  • Key target 4—Be responsive to demands for technical publications (between receipt of a demand and despatch of a publication).
    • By 31 March 1996 achieve an average of 10 days.
    • By 31 March 1997 achieve an average of 9 days.
  • Key target 5—Deliver a timely ATSA technical project service.
    • By 31 March 1996 establish a baseline and develop the target to measure the timeliness of ATSA's work.
    • By 31 March 1997 meet the target set.
  • Key target 6—Deliver a timely ATSA service by reducing the administrative lead time (ALT) to complete initial spares provisioning lists.
    • By 31 March 1996 achieve an average ALT of 11 months.
    • By 31 March 1997 achieve an average ALT of 10 months.
  • Key target 7—Satisfy the customer when undertaking technical projects.
    • By 31 March 1996 establish a baseline and develop the target to measure customer satisfaction.
    • By 31 March 1997 meet the target set.
  • Key Target 8—Increase efficiency by managing additional commitments within a declining budget while maintaining the programme by volume with no degradation in the quality of the service.
    • Improve efficiency by 4 per cent. in 1996–97 over previous year.

All the targets will encourage continuous improvement in ATSA services or efficiency which will be achieved by rationalisation and by improving processes.

Additionally, milestone key targets will drive ATSA to achieve restructuring; competing the technical publications activity as part of the ATSA competing for quality programme; the development of business systems and collocation, of the land systems elements, on a single site by mid-1998.