HC Deb 26 March 2002 vol 382 cc940-1W
Mr. Miller

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when he expects to announce the key targets for the Maritime and Coastguard Agency for 2002. [46926]

Mr. Jamieson

I will shortly place in the Libraries of both Houses a copy of the Agency's Business Plan, which includes its key targets for 2002–03. The key targets areto decide on the appropriate search and rescue response to accidents and life threatening situations, and initiate action if necessary, within five minutes of being alerted in at least 95 per cent. of incidents; to introduce three pilot search and rescue accident prevention projects targeted at the most common incident categories and measure their impact by 31 March 2003; to build on the risk based approach to improve the focus of ship inspections, and deliver at least 96 per cent. of the planned inspections based on that approach; to increase the percentage of available surveyor time spent on surveys, inspections and related operational work by 5 per cent. to achieve an 80 per cent. customer satisfaction rating as a result of a survey of the shipping industry; and to improve our performance by 5 per cent. in regard to Service Standard 4: Issue Notices of Eligibility for admission to seafarers' examinations.

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