Public Offices: Performance Targets (Hansard, 31 March 1999)

§ The Lord Chancellor

The following tables set out the key performance targets that I have set for Her Majesty's Land Registry, the Public Record Office, the Public Trust Office and the Court Service for 1999–2000.

HM Land Registry Key Performance Indicators and Targets 1999–2000
Indicator	Target
Financial
Percentage return on average capital employed¹	6%
Efficiency
Cost per unit in real terms	£25.13
Cost per unit in cash terms²	£29.89
"Service First" Standards Speed
Percentage of office copy and official search applications handled within two working days
and	98%
Percentage of office copies and official searches processed in three working days	100%

Public Record Office Key Performance Indicators and Targets 1999–2000
Indicator	Target
1.Efficiency
Unit costs of key activities:
(a) selecting and preserving the public records.	£107.64 per metre: i.e., limit increase to 5%.
(b) giving access to records.	£3.82 per information transaction: i.e., reduce by 50%.
Backlog of records in departments reported as being over 30 years old and awaiting review.	Process backlog by:
	(a) reviewing 480 metres.
	(b) preparing for review an additional 1,000 metres.
Provision of acceptable storage conditions i.e., meeting the preservation and environmental standards recommended by BS 5454: 1989 Recommendations for storage and exhibition of archival documents (BSI, 1989).	Increase the proportion of records stored to the standards from 88.29% to 88.45%.
Management efficiency in running support services and projects.	(a) reduce the level of staff sick absence in 1999 by 4.3%.
	(b) increase the proportion of invoices paid within thirty days from 97.5% to 99%
2. Quality of Service
The achievement of Charter Standards
(a) Charter Standard targets for answering letters, delivering documents to users and reprographic services.	Achieve 98.5% against the targets.
(b) User satisfaction surveys.	Achieve assessment of "excellent" on 56% of survey forms returned.
3. Effectiveness
Performance in achieving specified milestones towards strategic objectives in the light of emerging government policies.	(a) increase revenue by 3% against the 1998–99 target.
	(b) make our lists of records available on the Internet by 31 October.
	(c) complete and disseminate three quality standards to guide public record bodies on the selection of records in line with the new Acquisition policy.

Note:

Fuller details of the Office's targets are given in its Business Plan, which is available from the Public Record Office.

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HM Land Registry Key Performance Indicators and Targets 1999–2000
Indicator	Target
Percentage of all registrations processed within 25 working days³	80%
Accuracy
Percentage of registrations processed free of any error	98.5%
Percentage of customers responding to the Annual Survey who perceive the accuracy of registrations to be excellent or good	Better than 90%
Delivery of Electronic Services
Percentage of dealings (key customer interactions) capable of electronic delivery	30%
Percentage of titles in the Land Register capable of electronic delivery	95%
Percentage of titles plans in the Land Register capable of electronic delivery	60%
Number of scanned pages of filed documents (millions)	8.5

Notes

Fuller details of the agency's targets are given in its Business Plan, which is available from Her Majesty's Land Registry.

¹ ROCE below 6% reflects agreement with HM Treasury to apply surplus income generated in 1993–95 (when ROCE exceeded 25% in each year) to fee reductions in 1996–99. The ROCE for 1999–2000 is subject to confirmation by HM Treasury.

² The inflation factor for the cost per unit in cash terms is derived from the GDP indices announced by HM Treasury on 9 March 1999.

³ Denotes the aim in the Registry's Statement of "Service First" Standards which are detailed in Annex C of the Business Plan 1999–2000.

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Public Trust Office Executive Agency Key Performance Targets 1999–2000
Indicator	Target
1. To carry out accounting transactions within target times.	To bring to account at least 99% of receipts and payments transactions within turnaround targets by volume weighted performance.
2. To achieve investment targets.	To pay interest on the special rate account at an annual rate at or above the average of the agreed comparator, and to pay at least 75% of that rate on basic rate accounts; to ensure that 92.5% of all funds which have a Dedicated Investment Portfolio^* have a formal investment review^** at least once a year.
3. To achieve Charter Standards.	To achieve 98% of the 19 Charter Standards of most importance to the Office's users.^***
4. To meet the unit cost target.	To operate within a unit cost of £198.41.
5. Percentage of full costs recovered.	To ensure that 100% of full costs are recovered.
^* A Dedicated Investment Portfolio is one which has been constructed to accommodate the specific requirements of the client and has a sufficiency of funds and duration to allow it to be adjusted in line with stockmarket or client circumstances.
^** The formal investment review is a full consideration of the overall investment strategy being pursued for a particular portfolio. It is complemented by PTO policies of unitising smaller funds and benchmarking larger portfolios against stock exchange models. The investment media held in the funds are subject to on-going review as company announcements or relevant research material becomes available and actioned at any time.
^*** The target includes two new standards for the review of receivership accounts, they are to:
—complete a review of 80% of receivers' accounts within 12 weeks of receipt;
—review 80% of the Receiver's accounts within 12 weeks.
These standards will be reviewed on receipt of the Committee of Public Accounts' recommendations on the Comptroller and Auditor General's report "Protecting the Financial Welfare of People with Mental Incapacity".
Note:
Fuller details of the Office's performance targets will appear in the PTO Plan, which will be available from the Public Trust Office later in the year.

Court Service Key Performance Indicators and Targets 1999–2000
Indicator	Target
provide a courteous, reliable and accurate service, relevant information and suitable facilities
KPI 1 the quality of service provided to court users	83%
complete all administrative processes promptly
KPI 2 the percentage of administrative work in the civil courts dealt with within target time	92%
reduce waiting times for trial or hearing
KPI 3 the percentage of Crown Court cases that commence within target	78%
KPI 4 average waiting time for Asylum Appeals from receipt at Immigration Appellate Authorities to promulgation of the Adjudicator's decision	23 weeks
reduce the cost of the services we provide
KPI 5 the unit cost of a case in the Crown Court	£2,118
KPI 6 the unit cost of an item of originating process in the civil courts	£118
achieve full cost recovery in the civil courts
KPI 7 the percentage of the cost of the civil courts recovered through fees	94%

Fuller details of the agency's targets are given in the Court Service Plan, April 1999—March 2002 which is available from the Court Service Headquarters.