§ Syd RapsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what key targets have been set for the Defence Vetting Agency for the financial year 2001–02. [8604]
§ Mr. IngramThe Defence Vetting Agency carries out security vetting checks on people employed by the Ministry of Defence, by certain other Government Departments, and by defence contractors. Since 1997, the agency has been involved in an ambitious modernisation programme to create a responsive, efficient organisation that will exploit the capabilities of modern information technology to the benefit of its customers. This is the second year of major change for the agency. During this financial year a collocation programme, which involved the closure of its London and regional offices and the setting up of an integrated organisation in York, will be completed and a number of other initiatives to improve efficiency and responsiveness will also be progressed. It is expected that performance will be depressed while those changes take place. The chief executive has been set the following key targets:
Quality
Key Target 1:At least a 95 per cent. success rate in dealing with specially selected cases and zero serious errors.Timeliness
Key Target 2To complete 69 per cent. of security checks within 42 days.Key Target 3:To complete 61 per cent. of counter terrorist checks within 42 days.Key Target 4:To complete 90 per cent. of developed vetting within 182 days.Key Target 5:To achieve average completion times of 33 days for security checks, 32 days for counter terrorist checks and 105 days for developed vetting.
Efficiency
Key Target 6:To maintain the unit cost of output.I will place copies of the corporate plan in the Library of the House.