§ The Minister of State, Ministry of Defence (Mr. Adam Ingram)The Business Review of the Defence Analytical Services Agency (DASA) has been completed. Having consulted widely with customers and other stakeholders the Review concluded that DASA is delivering a good service to its existing customers, but that it needs to have more impact on central policy-making. It recommended 5WS DASA embed itself with central policy making staff when the Ministry of Defence Headquarters moves back into the refurbished main building. It also concluded that the currently configured owners advisory board does not provide sufficiently focused strategic direction to the agency, nor is the expertise of the non-executive directors being fully realised. It recommended that the advisory board be reformed.
The review also recommended that DASA merge with some other analytical organisations in MOD, and that its corporate HQ move to Bath.
Finally, the Review recommended that DASA retain Agency status, but this should be reviewed once the benefits to be accrued from site rationalisation and internal restructuring have been realised.
I have endorsed these recommendations, and action is now in hand to give them effect as soon as possible. The new DASA advisory board is planned to come into existence in summer 2003. A copy of the business review report has been placed in the Library of the House.