§ Mr. McWalterTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what key performance targets have been set for the Business Development Service to be achieved by April 1999. [51264]
§ Mr. Paul MurphyThe Business Development Service is an executive agency of the Department of Finance and Personnel. I have set a number of key performance targets for the Agency to achieve by April 1999, as follows:
- at least 90 per cent. of customers to be satisfied with the services that they have received;
- at least 90 per cent. of customers to be satisfied with the way in which services were provided to them;
- to achieve levels of efficiency savings in total running costs of 3 per cent. over the allocation for 1997–1998;
- to demonstrate, on a national basis and within the context of service level agreements (where these apply), that the Agency would recover the full cost of its operations from its customers; and
- to achieve the Investors in People (IIP) standard by 31 March 1998.
Copies of the Agency's Corporate and Business Plans for 1998 to 2001 have been placed in the Library.