HC Deb 06 March 2001 vol 364 cc178-9W
Mr. John Smith

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what performance targets have been set for the Defence Bills Agency for the financial year 2001–02. [152675]

Dr. Moonie

Targets have been set for the Defence Bills Agency for the financial year 2001–02 in accordance with the Agency's Service Level Agreement with the Ministry of Defence. The key targets build on the already high standards of service provided by the Agency since its formation in January 1996 and are as follows:

  1. (a) By the end of the financial year 2001–02 to reduce transaction costs by a further 6 per cent. for bills and a further 7 per cent. for invoices over the targets set in 2000–01.
  2. (b) Produce financial and accounting information to the ISO 9001/03 quality standard and to the times set out in the Service Level Agreement.
  3. (c) Pay 100 per cent. of correctly presented bills within 11 calendar days of receipt.
  4. (d) Raise 95 per cent. of invoices within four working days of receipt of a correctly presented claimable document.
  5. (e) Within the permitted tolerances, meet the performance targets prescribed in the Service Level Agreement.
  6. (f) Achieve during 2001–02 an improvement of at least one percentage point in the overall level of customer satisfaction compared with 2000–01.