§ Mr. SalterTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what key performance targets have been set for the Business Development Service in 1997–98. [10726]
§ Mr. Paul MurphyThe Business Development Service is a next steps agency within the Department of Finance and Personnel. It provides business support services in the areas of telecommunications—voice and data—management services, training, information technology and systems services and other central business facilities to Government Departments, their executive agencies and the wider public sector in Northern Ireland, where best value for money is achieved by central provision of the service.
I have set the agency the following targets for 1997–98:
- at least 85 per cent. of customers to be satisfied with the service that they have received;
- at least 85 per cent. of customers to be satisfied with the way in which services were provided to them;
738 - an efficiency saving of 8 per cent. to be achieved in total running costs over the allocation for 1996–97; and
- the Business Development Service to be positioned to recover from its customers the costs of all its services, commencing 1 April 1998.
Copies of the agency's corporate and business plans for 1997–98 to 1998–2000 will be placed in the Library.