HC Deb 02 May 2001 vol 367 cc642-3W
Mr. Michael J. Foster

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what key targets have been set for the Defence Geographic and Imagery Intelligence Agency for 2001–02. [160356]

Mr. Spellar

The role of the Defence Geographic and Imagery Intelligence Agency is to provide imagery intelligence and geographic support to defence policy, operations and training; to meet customer requirements for imagery intelligence and geographic support in accordance with defence priorities; to maintain and develop agency capabilities and readiness in line with future defence requirements; and to become progressively more efficient, while improving the quality and delivery of our products and services. The key targets for the agency for the 12 months from April 2001 areKey Target 1: To satisfy operational requirements for imagery intelligence and geographic support within timescales and to standards agreed between the agency and its customers.

  1. (a) For imagery intelligence, by providing at least 95 per cent. of requirements overall, while delivering not less than 98 per cent. of priority 1 tasks.
  2. (b) For geographic support, by providing 100 per cent. of geographic products and services essential to support current and potential operations, both from the agency's UK-based capabilities and its deployable units
Key Target 2: To achieve the required levels of operational readiness in line with defence planning assumptions while continuing to meet those deployable element outputs required under key target 1. To maintain agreed states of readiness as set by PJHQ for all contingency forces (JRRF) Key Target 3: To satisfy strategic and contingency requirements for imagery intelligence and geographic support within time scales and to standards agreed between the agency and its customers.
  1. (a) For imagery intelligence, by providing at least 80 per cent. of requirements overall, while delivering not less than 92 per cent. of priority 1 tasks.
  2. (b) For geographic support, completing at least 90 per cent. of a customer endorsed programme of work for geographic products and services.
Key Target 4: To demonstrate a 1 per cent. improvement in the coverage of geographic information holdings in comparison with the baseline established in 1999 and to maintain their quality for defence use. Maintain the MOD map library collection at the agreed level of readiness and achieve a 1 per cent. improvement in coverage of geographic information holdings. Key Target 5: To achieve a 2.5 per cent. improvement in efficiency. Achieve departmental efficiency targets by identifying efficiency measures which, taken together across the agency, deliver the required savings target (2.5 per cent.—cash based).