§ Mr. CrausbyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what action he is taking to increase the productivity and reduce the running costs of his Department. [103849]
§ Yvette CooperThe Department's running cost allocations for financial years covered by the comprehensive spending review (1999–2000 to 2001–02) assumed that pressures arising from price inflation would be absorbed by efficiency and productivity gains of 3.5 per cent. a year. These gains are being delivered through the Department's better quality services programme, use of its organisational development function and through a range of internal and external reviews and inspections (including peer reviews of internal resource allocation).