Written Statement of 31 March 2003

NORTHERN IRELAND

  O'Hare Report
  The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (Mr. Ian Pearson)
  I am today announcing my decision on recommendations contained in the O'Hare report on the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development's arrangements for the provision of agri-food education and R&D in Northern Ireland. I first announced my proposals on 25 November 2002, at which time I issued the proposals for public consultation. Having taken account of this consultation, I am now confirming the final decisions. These are detailed in the appendix below.

  FURTHER INFORMATION

  The Government's response to the O'Hare report was issued for public consultation until 28 February 2003, after their announcement on 25 November 2002.

  The O'Hare review was conducted by an independent panel, consisting of three ministerial appointees. The team's report was completed in April 2002.

  APPENDIX

  Details of the Government's final decisions on the way forward in response to the O'Hare report are listed below.

  CENTRAL DECISION TAKING PROCESS

  An advisory board on R&D and technology transfer will be set up, consisting of independent expert advisors from science and industry and with some additional membership nominated by the Rural Stakeholders Forum. Appointments to the board will be made through a transparent process using pre-set criteria. Strategic advice on the formulation of the R&D and technology transfer programme will be provided to the Department.

  TRANSFER OF THE SCHOOL OF AGRICULTURE AND FOOD SCIENCE TO EITHER THE QUEEN'S UNIVERSITY OF BELFAST (QUB) OR THE UNIVERSITY OF ULSTER (UU)

  The educational provision currently delivered at the School of Agriculture and Food Science at QUB will be transferred to one of the two NI universities. The process of selection of the university will be conducted by a panel consisting of internal and external members which will oversee the competitive exercise. The funding will be ring-fenced for an initial period of three years. Suitable transitional arrangements will be put in place for both funding and students.
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  Full legal protection will apply to terms and conditions of any staff who transfer to the chosen university. Full consultation with unions, staff and the receiving university will be an integral part of the process.

  RATIONALISATION OF THE THREE DARD COLLEGES INTO A SINGLE COLLEGE ON THREE SITES

  The three DARD Colleges will be combined to form a single college within DARD leading to greater efficiency in service delivery. The single DARD college, under a single Principal, will have a separate business plan, targets and budget and will produce separate accounts.

  It will continue its advisory, teaching and lifelong learning provision.

  A Management Committee will be appointed with external representation. Representatives will be chosen according to pre-set criteria.

  In addition, the single college will have overall responsibility for the delivery of knowledge and technology transfer and adoption and will liaise closely with the new NDPB, the retained Science Service, universities, research institutes and other providers to ensure cohesive and comprehensive delivery.

  The arrangement will be reviewed after 3 years.

  ESTABLISHMENT OF A NON-DEPARTMENTAL PUBLIC BODY (NDPB)

  A new NDPB will be set up to deliver R&D and analytical and diagnostic services currently provided by DARD Science Service. However, core provision will be retained within DARD to provide an emergency response capability. This arrangement will be reviewed after 3 years.

  A board will be appointed to manage the new NDPB. Appointments will be made using a transparent process and according to pre-set criteria. The NDPB will continue to provide R&D services for other Government Departments under suitable contractual arrangements.

  Full legal protection will apply to terms and conditions of any staff who transfer to the new NDPB.

  INCLUSION OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE OF NORTHERN IRELAND (ARINI) WITHIN THE NEW NDPB

  ARINI will be abolished and its functions and staff transferred to the new NDPB. Negotiations will be undertaken with the existing ARINI Board and the relevant trade unions on the arrangements for transfer.

  Full legal protection will apply to terms and conditions of any staff who transfer from ARINI to the new NDPB.

  OVERALL RESPONSIBILITY FOR TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER FACILITY WITHIN THE SINGLE DARD COLLEGE

  Overall responsibility for knowledge and technology transfer and adoption will be the responsibility of the single DARD College which will liaise closely with the new NDPB, the retained emergency core, universities, research institutes and other providers to ensure

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  cohesive and comprehensive delivery, irrespective of the delivery location. I recognise the concerns expressed in the consultation exercise that the continuation of comprehensive technology transfer provision is essential to the future development of the agri-food industry.

  This arrangement will be reviewed in three years.

  INTRODUCTION OF A COMPETITIVE BIDDING PROCESS FOR DARD FUNDED R&D

  Competitive tendering will be developed for DARD funded R&D. However, an R&D programme of sufficient size and quality will be core-funded at the NDPB to ensure that the required skills base is maintained. Core funding will also be provided for the analytical, diagnostic and surveillance functions carried out by the NDPB.

  LINKS

  Clear links will be developed between DARD, the DARD college, the new NDPB, the universities and other research providers to ensure that R&D, technology transfer and education are delivered as effectively as possible.

  Youth Justice Agency
  The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (Mr. Paul Murphy)
  The report on the Review of the Criminal Justice System in Northern Ireland, which flowed from the Belfast agreement, recommended in the area of youth justice that the Juvenile Justice Board, a statutory non-departmental public body with responsibility for the provision of youth justice services in custodial and community settings, should be replaced by a next steps agency. This statement announces the creation of that agency within the Northern Ireland Office, to be known as the Youth Justice Agency, on 1 April 2003.

  A full consultation exercise was undertaken in relation to all the recommendations in the Criminal Justice Review. There was broad support for the creation of an agency.

  The agency will play a central and leading role in addressing youth crime in Northern Ireland, by facilitating the development of a strong professional management team responsible for the provision of youth justice services and an increased emphasis on accountability, transparency and effective service delivery.

  The agency will also implement a range of new diversionary measures for dealing with child offenders, including youth conferencing arrangements based on restorative justice principles, new community orders and bail support schemes. The agency will build on partnerships with others that already exist in helping young people to avoid crime.

  In taking these developments forward, the agency will provide the appropriate structures, supported by challenging targets and key performance indicators, to ensure that the best value and outcomes are obtained from the substantial investment being made in youth justice provision in Northern Ireland.
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  The agency will concentrate on service delivery. The continuing task of developing policy and monitoring the agency's performance against targets will be undertaken by a small unit within the core Department.

  The agency's Framework Document and Corporate and Business Plan have been published and are now available in the Libraries of both Houses of Parliament.

  The relevant documents are also available on the NIO website at http://www.nio.gov.uk/.

TREASURY

  Landfill Tax
  The Economic Secretary to the Treasury (John Healey)
  Legislation will be introduced in the Finance Bill 2003, to take effect from 1 April 2003, which will increase the standard rate of landfill tax from £13 per tonne to £14 per tonne. The increase is part of a series of £1 per tonne escalator increases, announced in the Budget 1999. These increases have been publicised in the landfill public notice (LET1). HM Customs and Excise is writing to all landfill operators registered for the tax to confirm the date of the change.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Nuclear Decommissioning Authority
  The Minister for Energy and Construction (Mr. Brian Wilson)
  Following detailed analysis of a number of potential locations, I am able to announce that the Government have decided on West Cumbria as its preferred location for the head office of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority.

  The Government believe that—while a number of other locations could offer similar benefits in terms of the operational needs of the NDA—the NDA will bring significant benefits to the community of West Cumbria by providing a catalyst for economic growth and diversification. These benefits are particularly important to a community that has suffered significantly from economic setbacks and recent job losses. West Cumbria is already a high priority area for economic regeneration and has a long history of engagement in the nuclear business.

  The decision is the outcome of a two-stage assessment process. The first stage conducted by the Department of Trade and Industry compared eight locations throughout the UK and concluded that the North West was the region of choice.

  The second stage, conducted by the North West Development Agency, compared two areas within the region—West Cumbria and the area west of Manchester. The results showed that while there were some differences in the two locations, both locations would deliver against the operational needs of the NDA. Hence, their respective needs for investment and economic regeneration became the deciding factor and on this basis I have chosen West Cumbria.
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  Today's decision clearly demonstrates the Government's commitment (made in the White Paper on Managing the Nuclear Legacy) to support the communities in which the NDA will operate and in particular, to generate new growth and opportunities in areas such as West Cumbria.

HEALTH

  Children in Care
  The Minister of State, Department of Health (Jacqui Smith)
  The Department's Public Service Agreement (PSA), published July 2002, included a commitment to review the target on the education of children in care, in light of the Social Exclusion Unit (SEU) project on that subject. Work on the SEU project is nearing completion, and I am now in a position to announce the new target, which is to:Improve life chances for children, including by substantially narrowing the gap between the educational attainment and participation of children in care and that of their peers by 2006.

  This target will have been achieved if, by 2006:

  outcomes for 11 year olds in English and maths are at least 60 percent as good as those of their peers;

  the proportion who become disengaged from education is reduced, so that no more than 10 per cent reach school leaving age without having sat a General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) equivalent exam: and

  the proportion of those aged 16 who get qualifications equivalent to GCSEs graded A*-C has risen on average by 4 percentage points each year since 2002; and in all authorities at least 15 per cent. of young people in care achieve this level of qualifications.

  The elements of the PSA target relating to the level of education, training and employment outcomes for care leavers aged 19, the proportion of children in care who are cautioned or convicted, and the under-18 conception rate, remain unchanged.

  In developing the target I have been keen to encourage action to support attainment by all children in care. This includes younger children, those who are able and have the potential to achieve at a high level, and those with difficulties who need support to remain engaged with education at all.

  I therefore welcome the SEU's proposal that as part of the existing planning process, individual education targets should be set for all children in care and local authorities should monitor both the appropriateness and the achievement of these targets. We will be consulting stakeholders on how best to achieve this.

  In order that the target reflects the influence of the care system on attainment, it will apply only to children who have been in care for one year or more. Nonetheless, I believe that promoting the attainment of children who spend a shorter time in care is important. I have therefore agreed with My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Skills that he will put in place arrangements to analyse data from the pupil level annual school census, in order to improve our understanding of outcomes for those young people who have spent any time in care. The results of this analysis will be used to inform the development of future policy.
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  Copies of the technical note accompanying the new PSA target have been placed in the Library.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

  Regional Planning Guidance (North-West)
  The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (Mr. Tony McNulty)
  RPG 13 sets out the spatial development strategy that encompasses proposals for the development of the Region's economy, housing and transport infrastructure, and other land uses. Within the terms of the strategy, priority is to be given to sustainable development and investment within the North West Metropolitan Area (especially the Regional Poles of Manchester/Salford and Liverpool), together with defined Regeneration Priority Areas. RPG13 also sets out proposals for the conservation, management and enhancement of the Region's natural and cultural environment.

  I am pleased that much of the vision, objectives and core strategy of RPG 13 carries forward to a great extent what was proposed in the original draft RPG prepared by the North West Regional Assembly (NWRA). RPG 13 reflects the effective working that was achieved between the NWRA, local authorities and other stakeholders, all of which have made valuable contributions to refine and enhance the original draft guidance through public consultation. It builds on the inclusive process for preparing RPG that the Government have put in place. Many of the comments received in response to the consultations carried out earlier have made a positive contribution to the overall strategy for sustainable development and have been taken on board.

  The North West Regional Assembly, in its role as the Regional Planning Body, will work with partners—including the business community—to ensure its effective implementation, monitoring and review.

  Housing Bill
  The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (Mr. Tony McNulty)
  The Government is today publishing as CM 5793 a draft Housing Bill for consultation. This aims to tackle some of the most pressing difficulties in private sector housing. The draft Bill will ensure action against unacceptably low housing standards, the impact bad landlords can have on some local communities and the stress in buying and selling a home. These proposals are part of our drive to deliver sustainable communities as set out in the Deputy Prime Minister's long-term action programme"Sustainable Communities: Building for the Future" published in February this year.

  The draft Bill sets out specific legislation in five main areas:

  replacing the existing housing fitness standard with the evidence-based Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) as a more effective basis for enforcement against unacceptable housing conditions;

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  improving the controls on Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs), including a mandatory national licensing scheme, to tackle poor physical and management standards;

  giving local authorities powers to license all landlords in areas of low housing demand or similar areas where the growth and poor management of the private rented sector frustrates efforts to create sustainable communities;

  requiring anyone marketing a home to assemble a home information pack (HIP), so that the information needed by buyers and sellers is available when the property is marketed, and abortive costs on the buyer are reduced;

  modernising the Right to Buy scheme by tackling profiteering and emphasising purchasers' responsibilities so that it contributes more effectively to the supply of affordable housing.

  There are additionally clauses introducing a new office of Social Housing Ombudsman for Wales to investigate complaints against registered social landlords in Wales. There are also proposals to give local authority landlords the flexibility to continue introductory tenancies by up to six months, adding to the armoury of measures to tackle anti social behaviour by tenants.

  The consultation period will run until 9 June. The draft Bill, together with the explanatory notes, Regulatory Impact Assessments and issues for consultation, has been published as a Command Paper and will also be available on the website for the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. Copies of all the consultation material have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

  The Government have also today published consultation documents on the Home Information Pack, covering its contents and its applicability in areas of lowest housing demand. There will also be separate consultation on possible changes to the powers of the Housing Corporation and National Assembly for Wales to regulate registered social landlords.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  UK-US Bilateral Extradition Treaty
  The Secretary of State for the Home Department (Mr. David Blunkett)
  I am today, together with US Attorney General John Ashcroft, signing a new bilateral extradition treaty between the United Kingdom and the United States of America.

  The current UK-USA extradition treaty was agreed in 1972 and ratified in 1976 with supplementary provisions from 1986. It is outdated and can be significantly improved.

  The new treaty reflects best modern practice in extradition. In particular, it provides that any crime attracting a maximum sentence of 12 months' imprisonment or more in both the requesting and the requested state is extraditable rather than containing a list of offences which are extraditable, as the present treaty does. The advantage of that is that it encompasses offences, such as computer related crime, which did not exist when the 1972 treaty was drawn up.
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  The new treaty brings the evidential rules for requests from the United States into line with those for European countries and simplifies the procedures for the authentication of documents.

  As with the existing treaty, the new treaty provides that in death penalty cases, extradition may be refused unless an assurance has been received that no death sentence will be carried out.

  The new treaty also maintains the present position that political motivation cannot be used to block extradition in the case of terrorist or other violent crimes. The treaty stipulates that neither nationality nor statutes of limitations will be a bar to extradition. The treaty also provides the standard speciality protection against onward extradition or surrender, and we have confirmed our understanding that this covers surrender to the International Criminal Court.

  Before the treaty can come into force it needs to be ratified by the United States Senate. It will be brought into force in the United Kingdom by Order in Council. Such an order will be made under the existing Extradition Act 1989 and will carry over when the Extradition Bill, which is currently before Parliament, comes into force. At that point the United States, like all of our extradition partners, will benefit from the new streamlined extradition procedures which the Bill seeks to put in place.

  The United States is one of our key extradition partners and there is a significant volume of extradition business between the two countries. It is therefore important that our bilateral extradition treaty should be as effective as possible. I am pleased that it has been possible to reach agreement on the new treaty and that I have the opportunity in person to affirm our commitment to the closest possible co-operation in the fight against terrorism and other serious crime.

WORK AND PENSIONS

  Employer Pensions Task Force
  The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Mr. Andrew Smith)
  Today, I am pleased to announce that Sir Peter Davis, Group Chief Executive of J Sainsbury PLC has agreed to chair an Employer Task Force on Pensions.

  A vital part of the proposals set out in our pensions Green Paper "Simplicity, security and choice: Working and saving for retirement", Cm 5677, is the renewal of the partnership between individuals, employers the financial services industries and Government.

  There is no doubt that the people retiring today with the best pension have been helped to do so by their employer. We want the Task Force to help build on that success and encourage more employers large and small to recognise the value of good pension provisions and to identify and promote good practice in providing and promoting pensions. The Task Force will also provide advice to me on the role of the employer in the pensions partnership.
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  With the appointment of Sir Peter Davis we are putting the right leadership in place to fulfil this remit. His extensive business experience will be a valuable asset in helping to make a success of future pension provision.

  I will be considering comments in response to consultation on the Green Paper on the Task Force, and will report back to the House on the wider membership, terms of reference and timetable in due course.

  Jobcentre Plus
  The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Mr. Andrew Smith)
  I am delighted to be able to announce that as part of the development of the service provided to working age people, we will be opening a Jobcentre Plus contact centre at the site of the former ITV Digital operation in Pembroke Dock, West Wales. This new venture will create 250 new jobs and will not only offer a major boost to the area but will also help Jobcentre Plus in our aim of delivering a modern, efficient service.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH

  Diplomatic Representation (Africa)
  The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Mr. Jack Straw)
  Changing strategic priorities require the Foreign and Commonwealth Office constantly to adapt and amend its pattern of representation overseas. In order to free resources to strengthen the UK's diplomatic network in other parts of the world now more critical for UK interests, I have decided to make the following adjustments to our diplomatic representation in West Africa. With effect from early summer, the Embassy in Bamako will be closed. We intend to retain a UK office there. Given the importance the UK attaches to stability and peace in the Mano River region, we intend to open a one-person office in Monrovia later this year, and upgrade our office in Conakry to an Embassy.

DEFENCE

  Defence Medical Education and Training Agency
  The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence (Dr. Lewis Moonie)
  In line with the recommendation of the Medical Quinquennial Review (MQR), which I announced on 11 April 2002, the Defence Medical Education and Training Agency (DMETA) will be established on 1 April 2003. I will arrange for copies of the new Agency's Framework Document, Corporate Plan and Key Targets for 2003–2004 to be placed in the Library of both Houses. The Chief Executive for DMETA will be Rear Admiral Peter Kidner.

  On formation, the new Agency will subsume the existing Defence Medical Training Organisation (DMTO). The Defence Secondary Care Agency (DSCA) will be disestablished on 31 March 2003 with its
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  responsibility for training and placement of Service medical personnel transferring to DMETA. Responsibility for commissioning secondary care for Service personnel will transfer to a new Healthcare Directorate within the Defence Medical Services Department (DMSD), formerly the Surgeon General's Department. The overseas hospitals in Cyprus and Gibraltar will transfer to the Permanent Joint Headquarters (PJHQ) by 1 April 2005, but during the interim period DMSD will have responsibility.

  DMETA will make available nominated Secondary Care personnel for deployments and exercises, and deliver appropriate medical, dental and military training and education to specified standards to meet the operational requirement. It will bring together Defence medical education and training including the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine (RCDM), the Defence Deanery., the five Ministry of Defence Hospital Units and the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre (DMRC) at Headley Court.

  Key Targets have been set for 2003–04 to provide a. balanced, challenging but achievable package covering the full range of DMETA's areas of business. These are:

  DEFENCE MEDICAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING AGENCY—KEY TARGETS FOR FINANCIAL YEAR 2003–04

  Key Target 1—Deployable Personnel

  To meet 100 per cent. of the Commander in Chiefs' requirement for Secondary Care personnel for operational deployments, major exercises and collective training.

  Key Target 2—Training Success (Quality and Quantity)

  a. Academic. To achieve an overall academic success rate of 95 per cent. across all training in the customer-approved Annual Agreed Training Requirement, based upon those students that successfully complete the required pre-course assessment where appropriate.

  b. Military. Ensure that 80 per cent. of all DMETA personnel, whose medical category permits, achieve their Service's annual mandatory individual military training.

  Key Target 3—Academic Success (Timeliness)

  To maintain the index of average time taken for trainees to pass through to the end of Phase II training at less than 1.05.

  Key Target 4—Defence Systems Approach to Training

  Ensure the application of Defence Systems Approach to Training (DSAT) to a minimum of 65 per cent. of DMETA courses within Financial Year 2003–04 and thereafter achieve a year on year improvement of 15 per cent. until a steady state of at least 95 per cent. is achieved.
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  Key Target 5—Efficiency

  Ensure the efficient rationalisation and usage of the current DMETA estate, reducing the agreed Balance Sheet value of the estate as at 1 April 2003 by at least 50 per cent. by 2010, thereby reducing the cost of training.

  DEFENCE DENTAL AGENCY (DDA)

  In respect of the Defence Dental Agency, the MQR recommended that it should continue in its present form except that it would lose some training functions to the new DMETA. It also recommended that the DDA should develop more challenging targets including a new system of Dental Risk (DR) categorisation. This has now been achieved and the Key Targets for the DDA for 2003–04 are as follows:

  DEFENCE DENTAL AGENCY—KEY TARGETS FOR FINANCIAL YEAR 2003–2004

  Key Target 1—The Operational Requirement

  To meet 100 per cent. of the Commander in Chief's requirements for DDA personnel for operational deployments, major exercises and collective training.

  Key Target 2—Dental Risk

  To achieve 90 per cent. of all Service personnel in Dental Risk categories A and B by 31 March 2004.

  Key Targets 3—Treatment Needs

  To reduce the Treatment Need Index for each Service to the following: RN at or below 400; Army at or below 600; RAF at or below 330 by 31 March 2004.

  Key Target 4—Military Training

  To ensure that 80 per cent. of all DDA personnel, whose medical category permits, achieve their Service's annual individual, mandatory, military training.

LORD CHANCELLOR
  National Archives
  The Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department (Ms Rosie Winterton):

  THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS 2003–04*
  EFFICIENCY
  KPI 1—Unit Costs of Key Activities
  KPI 1A—Selecting and preserving the public records per metre: To ensure that the unit cost does not rise above £96.00.
  KPI 1B—Giving Access Onsite: To ensure that the unit cost per information transaction with customers onsite does not exceed £9.90.
  KPI 1C—Giving Access Online: To ensure that the unit cost per information transaction with customers online does not exceed £0.11.
  KPI 2—Backlog of records in departments reported as being over 30 years old and awaiting review: To reduce the backlog, assessed in January 2003 as 2165 metres, by 247 metres.
  QUALITY OF SERVICE
  KPI 3—The achievement of Public Service Standards:

  (A) to achieve the Public Service Standard Targets for the National Archives as follows:-

  (i) To make newly opened records and their catalogues available to users in accordance with specified time targets

  (ii) To answer 98.5 per cent. of written correspondence within 10 working days

  (iii) To deliver 90 per cent. of records requested by users for consultation in the reading rooms in accordance with specified time targets

  (iv) To supply 98.5 per cent. of copy orders in accordance with the specified targets and standards

  (v) To answer 85 per cent. of telephone calls within 20 seconds

  (vi) To keep 98.5 per cent. of appointments which visitors have made with us within 10 minutes

  (B) to carry out three onsite satisfaction surveys and to achieve assessments of "good" or "excellent" from 90 per cent. of those expressing a view; to carry out three online satisfaction surveys and to achieve assessments of "good" or "excellent" from 80 per cent. of those expressing a view.

  INCOME GENERATION
  KPI 4—To increase revenue generated by commercial activity to £1,000,000
  MODERNISING GOVERNMENT
  KPI 5—Electronic Records Management:
  To support other government departments in achieving the government target for electronic records management by 2004 by:

  (i) monitoring progress in departments against milestones and reporting to the Lord Chancellor, the e-Government sub-group and departments every six months and to others as appropriate to the level of action required

  (ii) targeting under-achieving departments and developing action plans to accelerate progress

  (iii) delivering a programme of workshops to support the action plans.

  KPI 6—Electronic Service Delivery:
  To develop digital access to popular records so that 60,000 digital record images are delivered to customers
  KPI 7—To raise an awareness of the NA's holdings among under-represented groups in our user profile by means of a rigorous social inclusion programme the chief components of which are:

  (i) To make available 150,000 images online in four galleries as part of the "Moving Here" project

  (ii) To commence the first stage of the project to redesign PROCAT public interface screens in order to improve their usability, partly based on the finds of the usability evaluation exercise completed in 2002–03

  (iii) To broaden the ethnic, cultural and social mix of school groups visiting the National Archives by organising 10 workshops in partnership with the Tower of London and Cross River Partnership.

  * More information on these and other key targets is published in the Corporate and Business Plans.

ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

  Cattle Movement Service/Rural Payments Agency Merger
  The Minister for Rural Affairs and Urban Quality of Life (Alun Michael)
  Following the Better Quality Service (BQS) review of the British Cattle Movement Service (BCMS), published in November 2000, Ministers announced that they would be looking carefully at how BCMS could best work with the paying agencies in England, Scotland and Wales, to ensure effective interfaces with each other and with their farming customers. The 2001 Foot and Mouth Disease epidemic deferred action.

  Since then we have learnt lessons from the first year of operating the bovine premium schemes on the basis of cross-checks by the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) and the other GB paying agencies with the BCMS Cattle Tracing System database. These cross-checks threw up a significant level of inconsistencies which adversely affected payment of premium to a large number of farmer customers. This experience highlighted the need for close working between the GB paying agencies and
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  BCMS and raised the question whether potential synergies between BCMS and RPA systems are being fully exploited to provide a better service to all those who use the database.

  Having examined the options we concluded that there are strong strategic and organisational advantages for Defra's customers in having similar systems run under single management and providing a single point of customer contact through the merger of RPA and BCMS as from 1 April 2003. This would, in turn, ensure that BCMS is in a good position to meet the requirements of all its GB stakeholders. At the same time merger will help both organisations meet their respective business objectives by drawing on each others skills and experiences in improving services and efficiency through investment in significant e-government initiatives. Full realisation of these benefits however, will require a high. degree of integration and consolidation over time.

  This outcome is consistent with the findings from the BQS review which concluded that BCMS: should assume Agency status; should be retained within the public sector; should achieve efficiency gains through internal restructuring; and should remain on the Workington site.