Service Standards (Hansard, 26 July 2000)

§ Mr. Ian McCartney

I have arranged for a report on the performance of the main Departments and Agencies to be placed in the Libraries of the House. This is the first report on performance against the revised service standards announced in the Modernising Government White Paper, and reflects the Government's commitment to openness and to reporting transparently on our performance.

In most cases, Departments' performance in responding to correspondence from the public has improved over the past year, although performance varies widely and there is still room for improvement overall. Ministers are determined that performance should continue to improve through the introduction of new technology and the overhaul of outdated procedures. The performance of the main Departments and Agencies is summarised in the table.

Against the other standards, the report shows that visitors to public offices are usually seen within 10 minutes of their appointment, and that most visitors without an appointment are seen within the designated target. All Departments have at least one telephone inquiry point, and calls to designated numbers are usually answered promptly. Use of the internet is increasing rapidly and all the main Departments dealing with the public have websites, publicise their complaints procedure on-line, and, in most cases, are able to accept e-mailed inquiries. The report also shows some of the innovative ways in which Departments and Agencies are consulting their users and making their services more accessible.

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Department/Agency	Target (working days)	Total volume	Percentage of responses within target¹	Target 2000–01 (working days)	Agencies included in Departments return
Foreign and Commonwealth Office	20	46,480	84	20	No
Government Offices for the Regions	Maximum 15	n/a	80/99	15	n/a
Department of Health	20	⁶58,287	48	20	No
Medicines Control Agency	7	5,842	93	7
NHS Pensions Agency	20	17,355	100	20
Home Office	20	223,958	64	20	No
UK Passport Agency	10	105,826	81	10
HM Prison Service	20	72,076	94	20
Inland Revenue⁷	20	⁸—	84	15	n/a
Intervention Board	10	14,002	92	10	n/a
Lord Chancellor's Department	20	6,047	88	20	No
Court Service	20	5,606	93	15
HM Land Registry	5	352,500	100	5
Department of Social Security	20	34,446	63	20	No
Benefits Agency	10	1,104	78	10
Child Support Agency	10	n/a	66	10
War Pensions Agency⁹	10	275,000	98	10
Department of Trade and Industry	15	102,366	96	15	No
Companies House	10	35,000	98	5
Employment Tribunal Service	10	363,000	97	10
Patent Office	5	7,782	100	5
Insolvency Service	15	226,290	97	15
Radiocommunications Agency	15	200,340	98	15
HM Treasury	15	24,671	36	15	No
¹ Performance has been rounded up or down to the nearest whole figure.
² MAFF's Regional Service Centres have a 10 working day target.
³ Performance in responding to complaints only.
⁴ Total volume covers public correspondence sent to Ministers or to the Department as a whole. It does not include correspondence sent direct to individual branches or units.
⁵ Performance is measured by an independent research company sending a 'mystery letter' each quarter to each job centre (total of 4,000 letters a year). The company assesses the letters for quality as well as speed or reply.
⁶ Correspondence received by the Ministerial Correspondence Unit.
⁷ The Inland Revenue merged with the Contributions Agency (CA) in April 1999. Former CA staff are currently working a target of responding to 95 per cent, of customer inquiries (not just correspondence) within 20 working days. During the period of this report, they received some 53,000 inquiries and responded to 99 per cent, within target. All Inland Revenue staff are working towards a 15 day correspondence target for 2000–01.
⁸ Inland Revenue offices received some 74,000,000 items of correspondence during the reporting period; however, this figure includes all internal post. There are no facilities for the collation of separate figures for external correspondence.
⁹ Target for Chief executive's correspondence is 20 working days. During the reporting year, 762 items were received with 99 per cent, answered within target.

Northern Ireland Departments and the NIO
Department/Agency	Target (working days)	Total volume	Percentage of responses within target¹	Target 2000–01 (working days)
Department of Agriculture	15	109,279	100	15
Department for Social Development	15	175	99	15
Department of Education	15	4,205	89	15
Department of Environment	15	8,581	91	15
Department of Finance and Personnel	15	6,995	100	15
Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment	15	21,000	98	15
Department for Regional Development	15	12,113	98	15
Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety	15	1,487	100	15
Child Support Agency	10	935	91	10
Driver and Vehicle Licensing	3	14,793	100	3
Driver and Vehicle Testing Agency	15	670	100	15
Public Record Office	14	2,999	99	14
Rate Collection Agency	10	56,100	96	10
Social Security Agency	15	19,863	96	10
Training and Employment Agency	5	4,000	100	5
Northern Ireland Office	15	4,344	79	15
Northern Ireland Prison Service	15	1,800	96	15
Compensation Agency for Northern Ireland	10	213,000	96	10
¹ Performance has been rounded up or down to the nearest whole figure