§ Mr. CotterTo ask the President of the Board of Trade what systems are in place to measure the performance of the Foresight programme. [53083]
§ Mr. BattleOn coming into office my right hon. Friend the Member for Derby, South (Mrs. Beckett), as President of the Board of Trade, commissioned an audit of the Foresight Programme across Government. Last October the findings of the audit were published, and the Ministerial Foresight Group was established under my chairmanship to provide top level oversight of the Foresight Programme across Whitehall. A further progress report was published last month. Copies are available in the Library.
Independent assessments of the impact of Foresight to date have been published by several organisations, including a 1995 report from the House of Commons Select Committee on Science and Technology, and a report from the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology shortly after the General Election last year. Impact assessment will be an integral part of the next round of Foresight, starting in April 1999, which is currently the subject of widespread public consultation. The blueprint for the next round will be published in the Autumn.
§ Mr. CotterTo ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the total cost of the Foresight Initiative in each of the last three years. [53082]
§ Mr. BattleThe Foresight Programme is spearheaded by sixteen panels drawn from business, the science base, and Government departments. Panel members give their time free of charge. The total cost of staff in the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology servicing panels and managing the development of the programme, related consultancy support, and Panel activities in each of the last three years was as follows:
£ million 1995–96 1.170 1996–97 1.502 1997–98 1.475