HL Deb 30 April 1996 vol 571 cc130-3WA
Lord Windlesham

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What are the key performance targets for the Court Service. Her Majesty's Land Registry, the Public Record Office and the Public Trust Office executive agencies for 1996–97.

The Lord Chancellor (Lord Mackay of Clashfern)

The following tables set out the key performance targets that I have set for the Court Service, Her Majesty's Land Registry, the Public Record Office and Public Trust Office for 1996–97.

Court Service Key Performance Targets 1996–97
Indicator Target
Quality of Service:
1. Percentage of courts and offices meeting all Charter for Court Users standards 95%
Supreme Court:
2. Percentage of administrative process dealt with within target time 95%
Crown Court:
3. Percentage of defendants committed for trial waiting 16 weeks or less 75%
County courts:
4. Percentage of administrative process dealt with within target time 92%

Court Service Key Performance Targets 1996–97
Indicator Target
Enforcement:
5. Number of warrants paid as a percentage of correctly directed warrants 70%
Unit costs:
6. Unit cost of a productive courtroom hour (Crown Court) £522.55
7. Unit cost of an hour of administrative work as measured by the Business Management System (county courts) £49.92
Cost recovery:
8. Percentage of the costs of civil courts recovered 86%

Note:

Fuller details of the agency's targets are given in its business plan, which is available from the Court Service HQ.

Her Majesty's Land Registry Executive Agency Key performance targets 1996–97
Indicator Target
Financial
Return on average capital employed (ROCE): 3 per cent
External financing limit: £0
Efficiency
Cost per unit in real terms: £27.84 (3 per cent, reduction over the 1995–96 target of £28.70)
Cost per unit in cash terms: £30.82
Productivity
Unit output per post (per day): 3.34 units (4.1 per cent, increase over the 1995–96 target of 3.202 units)
Citizen's Charter Standards
Percentage of pre–completion applications handled in two working days at every district land registry: Not less than 98 per cent.
Average processing time for post-completion applications at every district land registry: Where no requisitions arise, no more than 15 working days
Percentage of registrations handled free of error at every district land registry: Not less than 98.50 per cent.
Development of Land Registration
Number of computerised titles: To increase the number of registered titles in computerised format to 14 million
Number of title plans: To increase the number of title plans in computerised format to 0.3 million
Number of account holders using direct computer access at end of year: 400 account holders

ROCE below 6 per cent. reflects agreement with HM Treasury to apply surplus income generated in 1993–94 (when ROCE exceeded 25 per cent. in each year) to fee reductions in 1996–99.

The real term unit cost in the base year of 1992–93 was £30.65.

Note:

Fuller details of the registry's performance targets are given in its business plan, which is available from Her Majesty's Land Registry.

Public Record Office Key Performance Targets 1996–97
Indicator Target
1. Efficiency
UNIT COSTS OF KEY ACTIVITIES:
(a) record accessions Reduce by 3.4 per cent, to £2.99
(b) providing record storage space per linear metre Reduce by 14.6 per cent, to £60.70
(c) making documents available to users per document Reduce by 0.9 per cent, to £5.99
(d) providing Census reader services per reader visit Reduce by 4.86 per cent, to £4.03
(e) providing document reader services per reader visit Limit increase to 7.01 per cent., i.e. to £41.54
(f) providing remote user information services per contact Reduce by 3.79 per cent, to £42.20
Backlog of records reported by departments as being over 30 years old and awaiting review Reduce by 1,000 metres
The timely destruction of records not worthy of preservation Departments to have in place key features of records management, as specified in the PRO Manual of Records Administration
Provision of acceptable storage conditions, i.e. meeting the preservation and environmental standards recommended by BS 5454: 1989 Recommendations for storage and exhibition of archival documents (BSI, 1989) Increase the proportion of records stored to the standards from 87.75 per cent, to 87.85 per cent.
Management efficiency in running support services and projects Reduce the running costs of the Office's support services as a proportion of overall running costs from 11.2 per cent, to 9.8 per cent.
2. Quality of service
Citizen's Charter Standards Achieve all Charter Standard targets1
3. Effectiveness
Performance in achieving specified milestones towards strategic objectives (i) complete new Public Record Office project at Kew (ii) review operation of the public records system (iii) increase revenue by 10 per cent.
1 Subject to specified modifications during period of major building works and moves of records.

Note:

Fuller details of the office's targets are given in its business plan, which is available from the Public Record Office.

Public Trust Office Executive Agency Key Performance Targets 1996–97
Indicator Target
1. To carry out accounting transactions within target times To bring to account at least 98 per cent, of receipts and payments transactions within turnaround targets
2. To achieve investment targets (a) to pay annually not less than the rate provided by the average of a model set of comparators for special and basic rate at 75 per cent, of special rate, (b) on an annual basis to ensure that 85 per cent, of all measured funds perform in line or better than their model based on stock market indices

Public Trust Office Executive Agency Key Performance Targets 1996–97
Indicator Target
(c) on a three year rolling basis to ensure that 80 per cent. of all measured funds perform in line or better than their model based on stock market indices
3. To achieve Charter Standards To achieve 98 per cent. of Charter Standards
4. To achieve unit costs in activity areas To reduce overall unit costs so that the target for 1996/97 will be at least 2.75 per cent. lower than the target for 1995/96 (adjusted for inflation)
5. Percentage of full costs recovered To ensure that 100 per cent. Of full costs are recovered.

Note:

Fuller details of the office's performance targets are given in its business plan, which is available from the Public Trust Office.