HC Deb 09 December 1996 vol 287 cc16-7W
Mr. Robathan

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement about defence agency status for the Royal Air Force Logistics Support Service. [8296]

Mr. Arbuthnot

The RAF Logistic Support Services will become an agency from 9 December 1996.

The agency will provide a comprehensive logistic service to a range of customers including all three services, the procurement executive and the aerospace industry. This will include policy advice; the introduction to service and in-service support of aircraft and associated equipments; logistics consultancy and information technology services. The agency will employ approximately 1,100 staff, comprising RN and RAF personnel and civil servants.

The first chief executive will be Air Commodore Ian Sloss who will be afforded the powers, responsibility and flexibility to build on the current organisation's expertise and high performance standards. The chief executive will be directly accountable to the Secretary of State for Defence and to Parliament for the conduct and performance of the agency.

The agency has been set the following key targets for the first year of operation:

  1. (1) To produce 95 per cent. of task reports, within aerospace maintenance development and support and information date management, by the target dates agreed with the sponsor and to acceptable quality.
  2. (2) To evaluate 95 per cent. of all tasks within 25 days of receipt of the initial tasking documentation.
  3. (3) The logistics computer centre will process 95 per cent. of all business system changes within the timescale agreed with the originator of the request and to acceptable quality.
  4. (4) To develop a task and resource accounting management system—TRAMS—by 31 March 1997 to measure the delivery of logistics support service in peace and for operations as specified by the customer.
  5. (5) To implement TRAMS across the agency by 31 March 1998.
  6. (6) To establish baseline management metrics by 31 March 1998.
  7. (7) To implement a personnel strategy plan from 31 March 1997 and to achieve accreditation to Investors in People by 31 March 1998.
  8. (8) To meet an efficiency target of 3 per cent. for the financial year 1996/97.
  9. (9) To meet a proposed efficiency target of 3 per cent. for the financial year 1997–98.
  10. (10) To undertake, starting in April 1997, the British Quality Foundations' business excellence model self-assessment and to have a numerical assessment upon which to base future high level benchmarking exercises by November 1997.
  11. (11) To achieve BS EN ISO 9001:1994 certification for all departments outstanding by 31 March 1997; and to maintain BS EN ISO 9001: 1994 certification for those departments already certified for the period 1997–98.

Copies of the agency's framework document and corporate plan will be placed in the Library of the House.