§ Malcolm Bruce:To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list (a) joint targets and (b) areas of joint responsibility between her Department and each other Government Department. [143141]
§ Ms Hewitt:The information requested is as follows:
(a) Joint Targets
The Department's Public Service Agreement targets from the 2002 Spending Review include the following joint targets:
PSA Target 1
Demonstrate progress by 2006 on the Government's long term objective of raising the rate of UK productivity growth over the economic cycle, improving competitiveness and narrowing the productivity gap with the US, France and Germany. "Joint target with HM Treasury"
PSA Target 4
(part)…improve the environment and the sustainable use of natural resources, including through the use of energy saving technologies, to help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 12.5 per cent. from 1990 levels and moving towards a 20 per cent. reduction in carbon dioxide emissions by 2010. "Joint target with Department for Food and Rural Affairs"
PSA Target 5
Secure agreement by 2005 to a significant reduction in trade barriers leading to improved trading opportunities for the UK and developing countries. "Joint target with the Department for International Development and Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO)"
645WPSA Target 7
Make sustainable improvements in the economic performance of all English regions and over the long term reduce the persistent gap in growth rates between the regions, defining measures to improve performance and reporting progress against these measures by 2006. "Joint target with the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and HM Treasury"
PSA Target 10
In the three years to 2006, taking account of the economic cycle, increase the employment rate and significantly reduce the difference between the overall employment rate and the employment rate of ethnic minorities. "Joint target with Department for Work and Pensions"
PSA Target 11
Deliver a measurable improvement in the business performance of UK Trade & Investment's customers; and maintain the UK as the prime location in the European Union (EU) for foreign direct investment. "Joint target with FCO"
In addition, "PSA target 10" requires the DTI to work with all departments to bring about measurable improvements in gender equality across a range of indicators.
(b) Areas of joint responsibility
The Department has joint working arrangements with a number of government departments across a wide range of its activities. Examples include UK Trade and Investment, a joint DTI/FCO organisation which has as its objective the enhanced competitiveness of companies in the UK through overseas sales and investments and a continuing high level of quality foreign direct investment; the dual support system by which the DTI and DfES provide funding for university research; the enforcement of the National Minimum Wage by the Inland Revenue; and the "business.gov" programme, through which the Small Business Service, a DTI agency, is working with departments and organisations such as Inland Revenue, Customs and Excise and the Health and Safety Executive to develop more joined-up customer-focused services for business.