HL Deb 16 June 2004 vol 662 cc29-30WS
Lord Bach

My honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence (Mr Ivor Caplin) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.

As detailed in the Defence Estates corporate plan 2004–09, the following key targets have been set for the agency for 2004–05.

Key Target 1: To improve the condition of the defence estate for fitness for purpose and condition by:

Delivering 1,640 single living accommodation grade 1 bedspaces under Project SLAM, and reporting on the provision of 4,307 bedspaces delivered under parallel projects, and improving service families' accommodation by delivering 500 upgraded properties.

Ensuring that at least 70 per cent of MoD sites of special scientific interest in the UK meet the criteria for satisfactory condition.

Key Target 2: To provide an estate of the right size, by increasing the number of personnel on core sites by 4 per cent by 31 March 2005, producing business cases to support the MoD estate rationalisation plan by December 2004, and by achieving accrued estates disposal receipts of £661 million from 1 April 2003 to 31 March 2008, including £126 million from 1 April 2004 to 31 March 2005.

Key Target 3: To improve customer satisfaction and service delivery, by decreasing customer dissatisfaction with service families' accommodation by a percentage point by 31 March 2005, compared to the outcome as at 31 March 2004.

Key Target 4: To implement key 2004–05 milestones for MoD estates change initiatives by achieving the contract award for the housing prime contract by 31 July 2004 and the regional prime contract (southeast) by 30 November 2004.

Key Target 5: To produce the necessary strategies and to establish target baselines in support of the Defra sustainable development in government requirements.

Key Target 6: To integrate baseline information to inform the methodology for demonstrating value for money efficiencies from prime contracting, and to reduce the management margin of vacant housing to 10.7 per cent by 31 March 2005.

I am placing a copy of the new Defence Estates corporate plan in the Library of the House.