The Earl of Dundonaldasked Her Majesty's Government:
What was the performance of the Scottish Agricultural Science Agency against its targets for 1995–96 and what are its targets for 1996–97.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Scottish Office (The Earl of Lindsay)The agency is on course to meet the targets for 1995–96 which my right honourable friend the then Secretary of State for Scotland set out in his Written Answer of 9th February 1995 (House of Commons, vol. 254, cols. 359–360).
For 1996–97 my right honourable friend has set the agency the following key performance targets:
fulfilment of the Service Level Agreement with the Scottish Office Agriculture, Environment and Fisheries Department within the running costs voted to the agency for 1996–97;
recovery of full economic costs for charged services;
continuation of the programme of consultation of all major customers on the quality of the work done by the agency;
completion of 92 per cent. of all scientific tests and analyses within the timescale set by customers; and improvement in the unit of the scientific work of the agency (cost per direct scientist hour).