HC Deb 02 April 1996 vol 275 cc123-4W
Mr. Nigel Evans

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress has been made in establishing the Government purchasing service of the Department of Finance and Personnel as a next steps agency. [24593]

Sir John Wheeler

The Government purchasing service of the Department of Finance and Personnel was established as an executive agency on 1 April 1996. It will be known as the Government Purchasing Agency.

I have set a number of key performance targets for the agency to achieve in its first year. These are as follows: to achieve total quality through having 100 per cent. of contracts covered by service level agreements established between the agency and its customers meet the standards set out in the White Paper "Setting New Standards—A Strategy for Government Procurement", Cmnd 2840; to achieve through cost reduction and cost avoidance methods at least 3 per cent. value for money improvements in procurement spend; to achieve a 75 per cent. qualified procurement staff; to respond to 85 per cent. of requests for advice on procurement policy within one working day and the remainder within three working days; to achieve 100 per cent. of regulated contracts conforming to purchasing regulations as monitored by University of Ulster surveys; to complete preparation for trading fund status by end of March 1997; and to establish a supplier forum with representatives of small and medium-sized businesses by September 1996, that will ensure initial business participation of at least 30 per cent.

Copies of the framework document, which sets out the terms within which the agency will operate, have been placed in the Library, along with its first corporate and business plan.