Warship Support Agency

HC Deb 29 March 2001 vol 365 cc730-1W

Mr. Beard

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the formation of the Warship Support Agency; and what key targets have been set for 2001–02. [156486]

Mr. Spellar

On 2 April 2001 the Warship Support Agency (WSA) will be established as a Defence Agency through the merger of the Ships Support Agency (SSA) and the majority of the Naval Bases and Supply Agency (NBSA). The WSA will be responsible for providing responsive and cost-effective warship support to the Royal Navy and other customers. The WSA's first Chief Executive (CE) will be Mr. John Coles, currently CE SSA, who will initially be located at Foxhill, Bath together with the WSA Corporate Directors. The WSA Agency will employ some 9,000 civilian and 3,500 military staff at various other locations throughout the United Kingdom, including Bath and Bristol, HM Naval Bases Clyde, Devonport and Portsmouth, and HM Mooring and Marine. Salvage Depot, Pembroke Dock.

The formation of the Agency will remove internal business boundaries between the SSA and the NBSA, creating a new organisation that will be more able to manage warship support coherently and be more responsive to customer requirements. The WSA corporate aim is to provide "World Class Support to a World Class Navy".

The Chief Executive has been sent the following Key Targets for the first year of operation:

Key Target 1QuantityTo achieve 95 per cent. of Available Vessel days. To increase the provision of Single Living Accommodation (SLA) at Grades 1 and 2 standard to 25 per cent. of bed nights provided, recognising the long-term nature of capital works necessary to upgrade accommodation.

Key Target 2: Timeliness To achieve the deep maintenance (Upkeep) programme with less than 7 per cent. overrun, and to achieve 95 per cent. of Capability Upgrades within target date and to an acceptance standard.

Key Target 3: Quality To provide a quality of service that meets the ISO 9000 standard, and to achieve 95 pet cent. or better customer satisfaction rating of service delivery against agreed requirements.

Key Target 4: Cost/Efficiency To make the necessary Agency contribution to the Defence Logistics Organisation's 20 per cent. target reduction of output costs by 2005, while conitinuing to deliver and, where appropriate, improve the quality of outputs.

I am placing a copy of the Agency's Framework Document in the Library of the House.