HC Deb 21 May 1998 vol 312 cc477-8W
Mr. Salter

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps are being taken to improve the competitiveness of the Roads Service; and what performance targets have been set for the agency in 1998–99. [43348]

Marjorie Mowlam

Following a re-examination of the Roads Service market testing commitments in the light of the Best Value principles, it has been agreed that the Roads Service should adopt a Best Value approach to the delivery of its services, based on performance measurement and the benchmarking of costs and quality of service with other organisations. This is now being developed in conjunction with the restructuring of the Agency. If internal costs prove to be uncompetitive and cannot be improved sufficiently then market testing and contracting out remain as options.

For 1998/99, the following performance targets have been set for Roads Service:

Finance

  1. 1. To maintain expenditure within cash limits and to approved budget plans.
  2. 2. Within the provision allocated, deliver an overall efficiency saving of 3 per cent. in running costs.

Output/Effectiveness

  1. 3. To maintain the Motorway network so that at least 85 per cent. has a residual life' of more than 5 years.
  2. 4. To maintain the Trunk Road Network so that at least 75 per cent. has a residual life of more than 5 years.
  3. 5. To maintain the condition of other roads so that the overall Road Condition Index' does not exceed 85.
  4. 6. To reduce by 40 per cent. the total number of injury accidents occurring at treated sites over the 3 years following the works.

Quality of Customer Services 7. To achieve consistently the key standards of service set out in the Road User's Charter Statement.

Efficiency 8. The unit cost of managing the road network to be 2 per cent. lower, in real terms, than the 1997–98 outturn figure.

1 The maximum period remaining before the road will require major reconstruction. The higher the residual life figure, the better the condition.

2 Obtained from analysing the results of inspection surveys covering a sample of the network. The lower the condition index figure, the better the condition.

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