§ Mr. ColemanTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what performance targets have been set for the Defence Vetting Agency for the financial year 2002–03. [49905]
§ Mr. IngramThe Defence Vetting Agency is the largest government organisation carrying out national security checks on people to allow them to be employed in jobs involving access to sensitive information or assets. These jobs range throughout the Ministry of Defence and armed services, a number of other Government Departments, and defence contractor companies. This year will see the Agency emerge from a challenging modernisation and rationalisation programme that started soon after it was created in 1997. The completion of the programme will create a much more responsive, integrated organisation, able to exploit the capabilities of modern information technology to the benefit of its customers. The chief executive has been set the following key targets.
Quality
Key Target 1:
To achieve, through external validation, at least a 95 per cent. success rating with specially selected cases, and zero serious errors that could have been identified at the time of vetting.Key Target 2:
712WTo address the diversity imbalance in the agency and achieve by 2002:Women (at Band D): 12 per cent.Women (Field Force): 10 per cent.Ethnic Minorities (Field Force): 1.8 per cent.Disabled (at Band D and Field Force): 1.5 per cent.Timeliness
Key Target 3:
To achieve agreed completion times for priority requests for security clearances:40 per cent. of counter terrorist and security checks completed within 10 days, and 90 per cent. of developed vetting completed within 30 days.Key Target 4:
To achieve agreed completion times for routine requests for security clearances:60 per cent. of counter terrorist and security checks completed within 30 days,40 per cent. of developed vetting completed within 100 days and 90 per cent. within 182 days.Key Target 5:
To achieve average completion times of 30 days for counter terrorist checks and for security checks, and 100 days for developed vetting.Efficiency
Key Target 6:
To reduce the 2001–02 unit cost of output by 2 per cent.I will arrange for advance copies of the Corporate Plan to be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
§ Ms BuckTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what performance targets have been set for the Naval Manning Agency for the financial year 2002–03. [49906]
§ Mr. IngramThe key targets that have been set for the chief executive of the Naval Manning Agency for the financial year 2002–03 are as listed. The targets build upon progress made by the agency since it formed on 1 July 1996.
Key Target 1. Deployment:
The percentage of filled officer billets to be: 94 per cent. or greater.The percentage of filled rating billets to be: 90 per cent. or greater.The percentage of filled other rank billets to be: 90 per cent or greater.Key Target 2. Manpower Planning:
The variation of strength to requirement to be: Better than -4 per cent.Key Target 3. Career Management:
The percentage of officers receiving the required notice of change to be: 60 per cent. or greater.The percentage of ratings receiving the required notice of change to be: 98 per cent. or greater.The number of occurrences where minimum time ashore criteria are met to be: 99 per cent. or greater.Key Target 4. NMA Corporate Efficiency:
To achieve strict control of NMA manpower overheads to within plus or minus 2 per cent. of the baseline established for manpower overheads as at 1 April 2002.To carry out two benchmarking exercises.To achieve a customer confidence score of 63.Key Target 5. Financial:
To operate the NMA within 0 to -1 per cent. of its 2001–02 net cash allocation for operating activities.Production of annual accrual accounts to be completed by July 2003.