HC Deb 03 June 1997 vol 295 cc121-2W
Mr. Wareing

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for the future of the Pricing and Quality Services Organisation within the MOD Procurement Executive; and if he will make a statement. [2013]

Mr. Spellar

A new Defence Agency, formed from the Pricing and Quality Services (PQS) elements of the Procurement Executive, was established on 1 June 1997. The agency will be known as Specialist Procurement Services (SPS). The Chief of Defence Procurement will be the Owner of the Agency and the current head of PQS will be the first Chief Executive (CE); subsequent CEs will be appointed through external competition. The Chief Executive has been set the following Key Targets for the first year of operation:

  1. 1. Establish Service Level Arrangements (SLAs) with customers, covering the activities of the following business units; Pricing, Quality Assurance and Cost Forecasting.
  2. 2. Develop/implement methods of measuring customer satisfaction.
  3. 3. Offer Cost Forecasting advice on 90 per cent. of Category A and B equipment projects identified within the agreed Equipment Approvals Committee (EAC) programme.
  4. 4. Develop a programme for accreditation to the Investors in People (IIP) standard.
  5. 5. Audit 95 per cent. of core accounts in the first year and 100 per cent. of major accounts over a three year period with respect to Government Furnished Equipment (GFE).
  6. 6. Develop an efficiency and business improvement programme.

I will arrange for copies of the Agency's Framework Document and Corporate Plan to be placed in the Library of both Houses.