HL Deb 11 November 1999 vol 606 cc231-2WA
Lord Shepherd

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What future projects are planned for the Performance and Innovation Unit. [HL4357]

Baroness Jay of Paddington

The Performance and Innovation Unit (PIU) was established to improve the capacity of government to identify and address strategic cross-cutting issues and promote innovation in the development of policy and in the delivery of the Government's objectives. The PIU project teams are drawn from both inside and outside the Government to ensure that new thinking and a wide range of experience are brought to bear on the issues. Their reports make an important contribution to policy making.

Further to the work announced in December 1998, the Modernising Government White Paper in March 1999, announced that the new PIU is undertaking a project aimed at identifying the long-term strategic challenges facing government. I have now asked the PIU to take the following further projects:

The Pursuit and seizure of Criminal Assets:

  • To consider the role that following the money trail and seizing criminal assets can play in the fight against crime and how to maximise the effective use of these tools. The Minister of State WA 232 at the Cabinet Office (Mr McCartney) is the sponsor Minister for this project.

The Post Office Network:

  • To identify the contribution made by the Post Office to the vitality of local communities, consider how the Post Office network can best contribute to the Government's objectives in the future and in the process formulate objectives for the Post Office network. The Minister of State at the Home Office (Mr Clarke) is the sponsor Minister.

Social, Health, Environmental and Trade Objectives on the Global Stage:

  • To identify a coherent set of principles for comparing trade measures with other national and international measures for addressing social, health and environmental objectives. The Minister for State at the Scottish Office (Mr Wilson) is the sponsor Minister.

The Use of Analysis and Modelling in Central Government:

  • To review departments' capabilities for quantitative analysis and modelling in key areas of government policy, including access to and the use made of data, to identify strengths and weaknesses and make cost-effective recommendations for change.

The aim is to complete the first three projects next spring and the last by the end of the year.