Written Statement of 20 May 2004

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Firearms
  The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department (Caroline Flint)
  Following the Home Secretary's decision not to extend further the life of the Firearms Consultative Committee, we have been considering how best to establish a forum for consultation and to assist in the current review of legislation. We have decided to establish a broad-based Firearms Advisory Committee with around 21 members to be drawn in equal measure from shooting interests; law enforcement/regulation; and organisations and community groups with an interest in the social consequences of firearms use and misuse.

  The committee's terms of reference will be:
  To advise the Home Secretary on the law and policy on firearms, having regard to the need to maintain public safety and prevent criminal misuse and taking into account the interests of legitimate shooters and the efficient, effective administration of controls.

  It will be assisted in this task by a technical sub-committee with 12 to 15 members drawn principally from representatives of law enforcement bodies and shooting organisations with knowledge and experience of firearms matters. The sub-committee's terms of reference will be:
  To consider the technical and legal aspects of administering and enforcing firearms controls and to make recommendations to the Firearms Advisory Committee on these and such other matters as may be referred to them.

  We will be approaching interested organisations and individuals to seek nominations to serve on one, or both, committees with a view to appointing members as soon as possible.

  The committee will be asked to submit a report of its work after 12 months and copies will be placed in the Library.

WORK AND PENSIONS

  Disability Discrimination Act
  The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Maria Eagle)
  I have today laid before both Houses, in draft, two codes of practice concerning the provisions of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA) relating to employment and associated matters. The codes have been prepared by the Disability Rights Commission (DRC) under section 53A of the DDA.

  The issue of the new codes is necessitated by changes to the legislation by virtue of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (Amendment) Regulations 2003 and the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (Pensions) Regulations 2003, which transpose
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  requirements of European Council Directive 2000/78/EC concerning disability discrimination, and come into force on 1 October this year.

  The draft code on employment and occupation covers the provisions of the DDA (as amended) relating to disabled employees, contract workers, police officers, partners in firms, barristers and advocates and persons undertaking practical work experience. The other draft code concerns the duties, under the amended Act, of Trade Organisations and Qualifications Bodies.

  The new codes will replace the existing ones issued by the Secretary of State in 1996 and 1999, which deal only with employment and trade organisations, respectively. The codes are issued by the DRC, subject to approval by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and after laying them in draft before Parliament for 40 sitting days. The codes are intended to give practical guidance to those to whom the relevant provisions of the DDA apply.

  Section 53A of the DDA provides that failure to observe any provision of a code of practice does not of itself make a person liable to any proceedings, but that any provision of a code which appears to a court or tribunal to be relevant to any question arising in any proceedings under the Act shall be taken into account in determining that question.

  The draft codes have undergone public consultation, and a report of the process has been published by the DRC on its website.

  The changes to the legislation from October will bring significant improvements in the rights of disabled people in employment and in vocational training. In particular, they will extend the employment provisions of the DDA to one million additional employers and seven million further jobs, including 600,000 in which disabled workers are already employed, Employers and others with new duties from 1 October have no need to be apprehensive about these new duties, as they will not be required to make unreasonable changes. The new codes of practice will help them to decide what is reasonable in particular circumstances.

  The Commission will be publishing the codes in advance of the legislative changes coming into force, so that those with new duties under the DDA can consider what reasonable adjustments they may need to make.

  The intended commencement date is 1 October 2004, to coincide with the date on which the changes to the legislation come into force.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

  Right to Buy (Homes for the Elderly)
  The Minister for Housing and Planning (Keith Hill)
  The Government has today issued a consultation paper seeking the views of social landlords and tenant groups on its proposals to update guidance issued in 1993 on the exception from the right to buy scheme of homes that are particularly suitable for occupation by elderly persons.

  From the inception of the right to buy in 1980, certain kinds of property have been excepted from the scheme. These are listed in paragraph 11 of schedule 5 to the Housing Act 1985. One of these exceptions is that a

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  landlord may deny a tenant the right to buy if his home is particularly suitable for occupation by elderly persons, having regard to its location, size, design, heating system and other features paragraph 11 also provides that a tenant denied the right to buy on these grounds may appeal to the Secretary of State. A joint Department of the Environment and Welsh Office circular, issued in 1993, provides guidance on the main points on which the Secretary of State will normally expect to be satisfied when determining such appeals.

  The Government's Housing Bill proposes that such appeals by tenants living in England should, in future, be determined by a residential property tribunal rather than by the Secretary of State. This will provide administrative benefits but will make no substantive difference to landlords or to tenants who appeal under paragraph 11. Such appeals in Wales will continue to be determined by the National Assembly for Wales. The Government do not propose to change the terms of the exception in paragraph 11 in any way.

  In support of this transfer of jurisdiction, the Government proposes to review and update the guidance in the 1993 circular. Clearer guidance will benefit both tenants and landlords by reducing ambiguities that have led to unnecessary work, disagreements, and disappointment. Among other things, the Government proposes that landlords should explain the effect of the paragraph 11 exclusion to their tenants, and that elderly tenants who are being rehoused should be advised if in their landlords' view the right to buy would be unlikely to apply to the properties that they are being offered.

  The responses to the consultation paper will be taken into account in preparing the revised guidance. It is intended that the new circular will be issued by the end of 2004.

HEALTH

  Bureaucracy
  The Secretary of State for Health (Dr. John Reid)
  On 30 October, I announced to the Health Committee that the Department would be conducting a review of its arm's length bodies (ALBs). The first stage of this has now been completed. I wanted to update the House on the decisions that I have taken and how the review will move forward to the next stage.

  In his Budget speech, my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer remarked on the importance the Government attach to improving public sector efficiency and reducing bureaucracy. In the Budget report, he set out that "the pursuit of efficiency also includes reducing bureaucracy, that both cuts headquarters' administration costs and frees up time of front line professionals to respond better to the needs of their customers". The Department's ALB review needs to be seen in this context and related to the work of Sir Peter Gershon in reviewing public sector efficiency. It is about putting the frontline first, and it is clear from the first stage of the ALB review that, although much good work continues to be done by ALBs, there is considerable scope for improving efficiency and reducing bureaucracy.
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  The review covers bodies undertaking national functions sponsored by the Department that were in existence or in the pipeline in 2003–04. The 42 ALBs included in the review are listed below. In a full year, ALBs spend more than £2.5 billion and employ more than 22,000 staff. If left unchanged, they would employ about 10 times the number of staff of the Department itself after completion of its change programme. It is clear from the analysis we have done during the first stage of the review that:
  there are overlapping and duplicated functions;
  there is scope for reducing unnecessary regulatory and policy activities;
  back-office functions such as human resources, finance, information technology and estates could be carried out more effectively;
  a considerable number of bodies could be merged, thereby reducing overheads and integrating like functions;
  some bodies could be moved to a more independent status with greater stakeholder control; and
  there is scope for significant efficiency and productivity gains particularly in the area of services acquired centrally for the National Health Service.

  The ALB sector has grown over several decades and, as currently constituted, does not best meet the health and social care needs of today and tomorrow. I have therefore asked my Department to take forward with the sector a reform agenda that delivers the following objectives:
  maximum devolution of responsibility to front line NHS and social care;
  improved efficiency across the sector with minimal bureaucratic overhead;
  closer working across the boundaries between health and social care; and
  minimised burden of inspection and regulation on health and social care services without reduced effectiveness.

  These objectives are aimed at putting the frontline first and improving services for the public while ensuring value for public money.

  In light of preliminary findings of the first stage, I have set the parameters for the next stage of this review. These are, against a baseline year of 2003–4:
  a 50 per cent., reduction in the number of ALBs;
  a saving in expenditure by ALBs of £0.5 billion by 2007–08; and
  a reduction in posts of 25 per cent., in the same period.

  Changes on this scale will enable considerable extra resources to be redeployed to the frontline. For example another £0.5 billion would provide for four new hospitals, or 20,000 more nurses, or 6,250 consultants, or 7,500 general practitioners.

  I recognise that the changes in prospect will cause uncertainty and disruption but they are needed. I intend for the next stage of the review to be completed as quickly as possible, within my parameters, and taking into account the need for proper discussion with the ALBs concerned and the devolved administrations. The Department will be in touch with ALB chairs and chief executives shortly to discuss our ideas for change. We want to work with them on the detail of our proposals over the next two months. We are hoping to complete this next stage by the end of June so that decisions can be announced before the summer recess.
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  List of ALBs considered in the review ALBs in 2003–04

  1.†CHI—Commission for Health Improvement

  2. CPPIH—Commission for Patient & Public Involvement in Health

  3. CRHP—Council for the Regulation of Health Care Professionals

  4. †DPB—Dental Practice Board

  5. DVTA—Dental Vocational Training Authority

  6. FHSAA—Family Health Services Appeals Authority

  7. GSCC—General Social Care Council

  8. HDA—Health Development Agency

  9. HFEA—Human Fertilisation & Embryology Authority

  10. HPA—Health Protection. Agency

  11. †MHAC—Mental Health Act Commission

  12. MHRA—Medicines & Health Care Products Regulatory Authority

  13. NBA—National Blood Authority

  14. NBSB—National Biological Standards Board

  15. †NCSC—National Care Standards Commission

  16. NCAA—National Clinical Assessment Authority

  17. NHS AC—NHS Appointments Commission

  18. NHS CFSMS—NHS Counter Fraud & Security Management Service

  19. NHS Direct

  20. NHS Estates

  21. NHS IA—NHS Information Authority

  22. NHS LA—NHS Litigation Authority

  23. NHS Logistics Authority

  24. NHS Modernisation Agency

  25. NHS PASA—NHS Purchasing & Supplies Authority

  26. NHS PA—NHS Pensions Agency

  27. NHS Professionals

  28. NHSU

  29. NICE—National Institute for Clinical Excellence

  30. NPSA—National Patients Safety Agency

  31. †NRPB—National Radiological Protection Board

  32. NTA—National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse

  33. OIR—Office of the Independent Regulator of NHS Foundation Trusts

  Correspondence from Mps/Peers to Ministers and agency chief executives1

  2002

  2003

  Department or Agency

  Target set for reply (working days)

  Number of letters received

  % of replies within target

  Target set for reply (working days)

  Number of letters received

  % of replies within target

  Cabinet Office

  15

  475

  73

  15

  443

  90

  Department for Constitutional Affairs2

  20

  2,577

  54

  20

  2,746

  49

  Court Service

  20

  230

  84

  15

  464

  95

  15*

  593

  78

  —

  —

  —

  HM Land Registry

  20

  32

  100

  20

  48

  96

  National Archives3

  15

  166

  98

  15

  30

  90

  10**

  61

  98

  10**

  34

  100

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  34. † PHLS—Public Health Laboratory Service

  35. PMETB—Postgraduate Medical Education & Training Board

  36. PPA—Prescriptions Pricing Authority

  37. †ROC—Retained Organs Commission

  38. UKT-UK Transplant

  †These separate organisations have now gone or are planned to go.

  Others covered by the review

  These are now operational:

  39. CHAI—Commission for Health Care Audit & Inspection

  40. CSCI—Commission for Social Care Inspection

  These are planned but not yet operational:

  41. Dental Special Health Authority

  42. HTA—Human Tissue Authority

CABINET OFFICE

  Regulatory Impact Assessments
  The Minister for the Cabinet Office and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (Mr. Douglas Alexander)
  The Government is committed to ensuring that regulations are necessary, give effective protection, balance cost and risk, are fair and command public confidence. In accordance with this, we require Departments to produce and publish regulatory impact assessments (RIAs) for all regulatory proposals likely to have an impact on business, charities or voluntary bodies.

  I have today presented to Parliament a Command Paper listing RIAs published between 1 July and 31 December 2003. Copies of those RIAs listed are available in the Library. This is the twentieth such Command Paper.

  Correspondence
  The Minister for the Cabinet Office and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (Mr. Douglas Alexander)
  I am today publishing a report on Departments' and Agencies' performance on handling Members' and Peers' correspondence for 2003. Details are shown in the table. Departmental figures are based on substantive replies unless otherwise indicated.

  The footnotes on the table provide general background information on how the figures have been compiled.
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  Correspondence from Mps/Peers to Ministers and agency chief executives1

  2002

  2003

  Department or Agency

  Target set for reply (working days)

  Number of letters received

  % of replies within target

  Target set for reply (working days)

  Number of letters received

  % of replies within target

  Public Guardianship Office

  15

  261

  31

  15

  95

  88

  *Target for correspondence sent direct to Agency Chief Executive.

  **Target for correspondence sent direct to Agency Chief Executive.

  Crown Prosecution Service

  15

  366

  85

  15

  298

  88

  Department for Culture, Media and Sport

  18

  4,767

  83

  18

  5,460

  85

  HM Customs and Excise4

  18

  1,616

  59

  18

  2,040

  62

  Ministry of Defence4

  15

  5,381

  83

  15

  5,565

  76

  Armed Forces Personnel

  15

  18

  100

  15

  93

  98

  Administration Agency Army Personnel Centre

  —

  —

  —

  15

  16

  94

  Defence Aviation Repair Agency

  10

  14

  100

  —

  —

  —

  Defence Estates

  —

  —

  —

  15

  24

  88

  Defence Housing Executive

  —

  —

  —

  15

  14

  79

  Met Office

  15

  14

  100

  —

  —

  —

  UK Hydrographic Office

  —

  —

  —

  15

  14

  100

  Veterans Agency

  15

  265

  99

  15

  251

  94

  Department for Education and Skills4

  15

  15,595

  84

  15

  14,424

  92

  Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

  15

  11,241

  47

  15

  10,410

  68

  Food Standards Agency5

  —

  —

  —

  20

  981

  13

  Foreign and Commonwealth Office

  20

  15,535

  83

  20

  30,168

  80

  UK Visas6

  15

  10,322

  98

  15

  16,964

  86

  Department of Health7

  20

  17,942

  29

  20

  19,029

  54

  NHS Pensions Agency

  15

  65

  95

  10

  63

  84

  Medicines Control Agency

  15

  36

  89

  —

  —

  —

  Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency

  —

  —

  —

  10

  26

  85

  Home 0ffice8

  *Non Prison Service correspondence

  15

  26,053*

  35

  15

  37,153

  58

  **Prison Service correspondence

  20

  1,267**

  (20 days for IND)

  Criminal Records Bureau9

  5

  632

  N/A

  10

  461

  92

  HM Prison Service

  20

  942

  77

  20

  1,437

  65

  UK Passport Service

  10

  132

  97

  10

  337

  79

  Inland Revenue4, 10

  18

  3,157

  71

  18

  2,803

  81

  *Local Tax Office delegated figures (where local tax offices have replied to direct to Mps)

  18

  439*

  80

  18

  1,795*

  35

  Valuation Office4

  18

  20

  75

  18

  13

  77

  Department for International Development

  15

  2,612

  96

  15

  3,676

  88

  Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Lord's Office

  15

  155

  96

  15

  43

  88

  Legal Secretariat to the Law Officers

  15

  378

  63

  15

  325

  65

  Northern Ireland Office

  10

  501

  59

  10

  503

  69

  Northern Ireland Prison Service

  10

  33

  91

  10

  44

  68

  National Savings and Investments4

  15

  44

  66

  15

  24

  70

  National Statistics4

  20

  212

  82

  15

  193

  84

  *Letters where National Statistician replied on

  *

  Minister's behalf

  10

  104

  84

  Office of the Deputy Prime Minister

  15

  5,523

  76

  15

  8,737

  73

  Planning Inspectorate

  8

  291

  90

  8

  384

  89

  Office of the Leader of the House of Commons

  15

  488

  95

  15

  385

  96

  Scotland Office

  15

  115

  73

  15

  73

  87

  Department for Trade and Industry11

  10

  11,565

  41

  15

  14,678

  58

  Companies House*

  10

  45

  100

  10

  33

  100

  Employment Tribunals Service**

  6

  46

  93

  —

  —

  —

  Insolvency Service

  10

  398

  96

  10

  34

  88

  Patent Office

  10

  367

  98

  10

  484

  98

  Radiocommunication Agency12

  10

  44

  89

  —

  —

  —

  Small Business Service***

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  *Letters sent direct to Agency Chief Executive.

  **Target date for letters sent direct to Agency = 15 working days.

  ***Figures included in main DTI return.

  Department of Transport, Local Government and the Regions

  15

  7,671

  83

  —

  —

  —

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  Correspondence from Mps/Peers to Ministers and agency chief executives1

  2002

  2003

  Department or Agency

  Target set for reply (working days)

  Number of letters received

  % of replies within target

  Target set for reply (working days)

  Number of letters received

  % of replies within target

  Department for Transport

  15

  6,505

  84

  15

  10,196

  88

  Driving Standards Agency

  15

  56

  98

  15

  108

  90

  DVLA

  10

  729

  99

  7

  1,028

  99

  Highways Agency

  15

  273

  96

  15

  263

  85

  Maritime and Coastguard Agency

  15

  27

  100

  10

  33

  97

  Vehicle Inspectorate

  15

  27

  100

  —

  —

  —

  Vehicle and Operator Services Agency

  —

  —

  —

  15

  25

  92

  HM Treasury4

  15

  4,647

  78

  15

  4,036

  83

  Treasury Solicitor's Department

  10

  26

  100

  10

  34

  100

  Wales Office

  15

  118

  97

  15

  120

  82

  Department for Work and Pensions

  20

  14,297

  65

  20

  12,157

  74

  Appeals Service

  15

  52

  88

  15

  84

  88

  Benefits Agency

  20

  504

  87

  —

  —

  —

  Child Support Agency

  20

  3,194

  51

  20

  3,521

  87

  Employment Service

  15

  72

  95

  —

  —

  —

  Jobcentre Plus

  15

  1,103

  57

  15

  1,052

  69

  The Pension Service

  15

  511

  71

  15

  1,157

  50

  Disability and Carers Service

  15

  749

  100

  15

  554

  99

  Debt Management

  15

  30

  86

  15

  31

  85

  Child Benefit Centre13

  20

  20

  95

  20

  11

  91

  Health and Safety Executive

  —

  —

  —

  10

  195

  91

  1 Departments and Agencies which received 10 Mps/Peers letters or less during 2003 are not shown in this table. Holding or interim replies are not included unless otherwise indicated.

  2 DCA is currently undertaking changes to its processes for handling correspondence. In the short term these have lead to delays in response time, but in the longer term will improve the quality of responses. These changes include quality control of all responses, and revising the DCA correspondence monitoring system.

  3 Formerly the Public Record Office.

  4 Includes all Ministerial correspondence.

  5 The statistics for the FSA are dominated by a single lobbying campaign which accounted for almost 70% of its total annual correspondence. The Agency is reviewing its procedures for handling peaks of work arising from such a campaign. Majority of replies are signed by Health Ministers.

  6 2003 figures also include a small number of letters from members of the public.

  7 Department of Health improved its performance to just under 70% in the last quarter of 2003.

  8 Figures include a small number of interim replies relating to correspondence sent to HM Prison Service. 2003 performance figures also include 16,268 cases answered directly by the Director General of the Immigration and Nationality Directorate. Response times to these cases relate to drafting performance only. Figures based on final replies will be available for 2004. Immigration and Nationality Directorate response target was increased to 20 working days with effect from 1 April 2003 to account for the wide geographical spread of offices and the nature of the correspondence which is predominantly about specific cases rather than policy issues.

  9 The CRB target was raised from 5 to 10 working days at the beginning of 2003 to reflect the standard set out in the CRB's Corporate Plan.

  10 Performance suffered due to the exceptionally high volume of correspondence following the introduction of the Working and Child Tax Credits in April 2003 and because early in 2003–04, the Revenue's priority was to get claimants into payment. Since the processing of tax credits claims has been stable, the Revenue has restored normal complaints-handling procedures and increased the resources on its complaints teams. As a result, performance should begin to improve.

  11 DTI increased its response target from 10 to 15 working days with effect from 1 January in line with other main Whitehall departments.

  12 2003 data currently not available because of transfer to OFCOM.

  13 The Child Benefit Centre transferred to the Inland Revenue with effect from 1 April 2003. Figures quoted are for the period 1/1/03 to 31/3/03.

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  Firearms: Consultative Arrangements
  The Minister of State, Home Office (Baroness Scotland of Asthal)
  Following the Home Secretary's decision not to further extend the life of the Firearms Consultative Committee, we have been considering how best to establish a forum for consultation and to assist in the current review of legislation. We have decided to establish a broad-based firearms advisory committee with around 21 members to be drawn in equal measure from shooting interests; law enforcement/regulation; and organisations and community groups with an interest in the social consequences of firearms use and misuse.

  The committee's terms of reference will be to advise the Home Secretary on the law and policy on firearms, having regard to the need to maintain public safety and prevent criminal misuse and taking into account the interests of legitimate shooters and the efficient, effective administration of controls.

  It will be assisted in this task by a technical subcommittee with 12 to 15 members drawn principally from representatives of law enforcement bodies and shooting organisations with knowledge and experience of firearms matters. The sub-committee's terms of reference will be to consider the technical and legal aspects of administering and enforcing firearms controls and to make recommendations to the firearms advisory committee on these and such other matters as may be referred to them.

  We will be approaching interested organisations and individuals to seek nominations to serve on one or both committees with a view to appointing members as soon as possible.

  The committee will be asked to submit a report of its work after 12 months and copies will be placed in the Library.

  Department of Health: Reducing Bureaucracy
  The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Lord Warner)
  My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Health has made the following Written Ministerial Statement today.

  On 30 October, I announced to the Health Committee that the department would be conducting a review of its arm's length bodies (ALBs). The first stage of this has now been completed. I wanted to update the House on the decisions that I have taken and how the review will move forward to the next stage.

  In his Budget speech, my right honourable friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer remarked on the importance that the Government attach to improving public sector efficiency and reducing bureaucracy. In the Budget report, he set out that "the pursuit of efficiency also includes reducing bureaucracy, which both cuts
  WS38
  headquarters' administration costs and frees up time of front-line professionals to respond better to the needs of their customers". The department's ALB review needs to be seen in this context and related to the work of Sir Peter Gershon in reviewing public sector efficiency. It is about putting the front line first, and it is clear from the first stage of the ALB review that, although much good work continues to be done by ALBs, there is considerable scope for improving efficiency and reducing bureaucracy.

  The review covers bodies undertaking national functions sponsored by the department that were in existence or in the pipeline in 2003–04. The 42 ALBs included in the review are listed below. In a full year, ALBs spend more than £2.5 billion and employ more than 22,000 staff. If left unchanged, they would employ about 10 times the number of staff of the department itself after completion of its change programme. It is clear from the analysis we have done during the first stage of the review that:

  there are overlapping and duplicated functions;

  there is scope for reducing unnecessary regulatory and policy activities;

  back-office functions such as human resources, finance, information technology and estates could be carried out more effectively;

  a considerable number of bodies could be merged, thereby reducing overheads and integrating like functions;

  some bodies could be moved to a more independent status with greater stakeholder control; and

  there is scope for significant efficiency and productivity gains particularly in the area of services acquired centrally for the National Health Service.

  The ALB sector has grown over several decades and, as currently constituted, does not best meet the health and social care needs of today and tomorrow. I have therefore asked my department to take forward with the sector a reform agenda that delivers the following objectives:

  maximum devolution of responsibility to frontline NHS and social care;

  improved efficiency across the sector with minimal bureaucratic overhead;

  closer working across the boundaries between health and social care; and

  minimised burden of inspection and regulation on health and social care services without reduced effectiveness.

  These objectives are aimed at putting the front line first and improving services for the public while ensuring value for public money.
  WS39
  In light of preliminary findings of the first stage, I have set the parameters for the next stage of this review. These are, against a baseline year of 2003–04:

  a 50 per cent reduction in the number of ALBs;

  a saving in expenditure by ALBs of £0.5 billion by 2007–08; and

  a reduction in posts of 25 per cent in the same period.

  Changes on this scale will enable considerable extra resources to be redeployed to the front line. For example, another £0.5 billion would provide for four new hospitals, or 20,000 more nurses, or 6,250 consultants, or 7,500 general practitioners.

  I recognise that the changes in prospect will cause uncertainty and disruption, but they are needed. I intend for the next stage of the review to be completed as quickly as possible, within my parameters, and taking into account the need for proper discussion with the ALBs concerned and the devolved administrations. The department will be in touch with ALB chairs and chief executives shortly to discuss our ideas for change. We want to work with them on the detail of our proposals over the next two months. We are hoping to complete this next stage by the end of June so that decisions can be announced before the summer recess.

  LIST OF ALBs CONSIDERED IN THE REVIEW

  ALBs in 2003–04

  1. † CHI—Commission for Health Improvement

  2. CPPIH—Commission for Patient & Public Involvement in Health

  3. CRHP—Council for the Regulation of Health Care Professionals

  4. † DPB—Dental Practice Board

  5. DVTA—Dental Vocational Training Authority

  6. FHSAA—Family Health Services Appeals Authority

  7. GSCC—General Social Care Council

  8. HDA—Health Development Agency

  9. HFEA—Human Fertilisation & Embryology Authority

  10. HPA—Health Protection Agency

  11. † MHAC—Mental Health Act Commission

  12. MHRA—Medicines & Healthcare products Regulatory Authority

  13. NBA—National Blood Authority

  14. NBSB—National Biological Standards Board

  15. † NCSC—National Care Standards Commission

  16. NCAA—National Clinical Assessment Authority

  17. NHSAC—NHS Appointments Commission

  18. NHS CFSMS—NHS Counter Fraud & Security Management Service

  WS40

  19. NHS Direct

  20. NHS Estates

  21. NHS IA—NHS Information Authority

  22. NHS LA—NHS Litigation Authority

  23. NHS Logistics Authority

  24. NHS Modernisation Agency

  25. NHS PASA—NHS Purchasing & Supplies Authority

  26. NHS PA—NHS Pensions Agency

  27. NHS Professionals

  28. NHSU

  29. NICE—National Institute for Clinical Excellence

  30. NPSA—National Patients Safety Agency

  31.† NRPB—National Radiological Protection Board

  32. NTA—National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse

  33. OIR—Office of the Independent Regulator of NHS Foundation Trusts

  34. † PHLS—Public Health Laboratory Service

  35. PMETB—Postgraduate Medical Education & Training Board

  36. PPA—Prescriptions Pricing Authority

  37. † ROC—Retained Organs Commission

  38. UKT—UK Transplant

  † These separate organisations have now gone or are planned to go.

  OTHERS COVERED BY THE REVIEW

  These are now operational:

  39. CHAI—Commission for Health Care Audit & Inspection

  40. CSCI—Commission for Social Care Inspection

  These are planned hut not yet operational:

  41. Dental Special Health Authority

  42. HTA—Human Tissue Authority

  Regulatory Impact Assessments
  Lord Bassam of Brighton
  The Government are committed to ensuring that regulations are necessary, give effective protection, balance cost and risk, are fair and command public confidence. In accordance with this, we require departments to produce and publish regulatory impact assessments (RIAs) for all regulatory proposals likely to have an impact on business, charities or voluntary bodies.

  My honourable friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office has today presented to Parliament a Command Paper listing RIAs published between 1 July and 31 December 2003. Copies of those RIAs listed are available in the Library. This is the 20th such Command Paper.

  Government Departments and Agencies: Correspondence Report 2003
  Lord Bassam of Brighton
  My honourable friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office has today published a report on departments' and agencies' performance on

  Correspondence from MPs/Peers to Ministers and agency chief executives1

  2002

  2003

  Department or Agency

  Target set for reply (working days)

  Number of letters received

  % of replies within target

  Target set for reply (working days)

  Number of letters received

  % of replies within target

  Cabinet Office

  15

  475

  73

  15

  443

  90

  Department for Constitutional Affairs2

  20

  2,577

  54

  20

  2,746

  49

  Court Service

  20

  230

  84

  15

  464

  95

  15*

  593

  78

  —

  —

  —

  HM Land Registry

  20

  32

  100

  20

  48

  96

  National Archives3

  15

  166

  98

  15

  30

  90

  10**

  61

  98

  10**

  34

  100

  Public Guardianship Office

  15

  261

  31

  15

  95

  88

  * Target for correspondence sent direct to Agency Chief Executive.

  ** Target for correspondence sent direct to Agency Chief Executive.

  Crown Prosecution Service

  15

  366

  85

  15

  298

  88

  Department for Culture, Media and Sport

  18

  4,767

  83

  18

  5,460

  85

  HM Customs and Excise4

  18

  1,616

  59

  18

  2,040

  62

  Ministry of Defence4

  15

  5,381

  83

  15

  5,565

  76

  Armed Forces Personnel

  15

  18

  100

  15

  93

  98

  Administration Agency Army Personnel Centre

  —

  —

  —

  15

  16

  94

  Defence Aviation Repair Agency

  10

  14

  100

  —

  —

  —

  Defence Estates

  —

  —

  —

  15

  24

  88

  Defence Housing Executive

  —

  —

  —

  15

  14

  79

  Met Office

  15

  14

  100

  —

  —

  —

  UK Hydrographic Office

  —

  —

  —

  15

  14

  100

  Veterans Agency

  15

  265

  99

  15

  251

  94

  Department for Education and Skills4

  15

  15,595

  84

  15

  14,424

  92

  Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

  15

  11,241

  47

  15

  10,410

  68

  Food Standards Agency5

  —

  —

  —

  20

  981

  13

  Foreign and Commonwealth Office

  20

  15,535

  83

  20

  30,168

  80

  UK Visas6

  15

  10,322

  98

  15

  16,964

  86

  Department of Health7

  20

  17,942

  29

  20

  19,029

  54

  NHS Pensions Agency

  15

  65

  95

  10

  63

  84

  Medicines Control Agency

  15

  36

  89

  —

  —

  —

  Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency

  —

  —

  —

  10

  26

  85

  Home Office8

  * Non Prison Service correspondence

  15

  26,053*

  35

  15

  37,153

  58

  ** Prison Service correspondence

  20

  1,267**

  (20 days for IND)

  Criminal Records Bureau9

  5

  632

  N/A

  10

  461

  92

  HM Prison Service

  20

  942

  77

  20

  1,437

  65

  UK Passport Service

  10

  132

  97

  10

  337

  79

  Inland Revenue4, 10

  18

  3,157

  71

  18

  2,803

  81

  * Local Tax Office delegated figures (where local tax offices have replied to direct to MPs)

  18

  439*

  80

  18

  1,795*

  35

  Valuation Office4

  18

  20

  75

  18

  13

  77

  Department for International Development

  15

  2,612

  96

  15

  3,676

  88

  Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Lord's Office

  15

  155

  96

  15

  43

  88

  Legal Secretariat to the Law Officers

  15

  378

  63

  15

  325

  65

  Northern Ireland Office

  10

  501

  59

  10

  503

  69

  Northern Ireland Prison Service

  10

  33

  91

  10

  44

  68

  National Savings and Investments4

  15

  44

  66

  15

  24

  70

  National Statistics4

  20

  212

  82

  15

  193

  84

  * Letters where National Statistician replied on Minister's behalf

  10

  104 *

  84

  WS 42
  handling Members' and Peers' correspondence for 2003. Details are shown in the table. Departmental figures are based on substantive replies unless otherwise indicated.

  The footnotes to the table provide general background information on how the figures have been compiled.
  WS43

  Correspondence from MPs/Peers to Ministers and agency chief executives1

  2002

  2003

  Department or Agency

  Target set for reply (working days)

  Number of letters received

  % of replies within target

  Target set for reply (working days)

  Number of letters received

  % of replies within target

  Office of the Deputy Prime Minister

  15

  5,523

  76

  15

  8,737

  73

  Planning Inspectorate

  8

  291

  90

  8

  384

  89

  Office of the Leader of the House of Commons

  15

  488

  95

  15

  385

  96

  Scotland Office

  15

  115

  73

  15

  73

  87

  Department for Trade and Industry11

  10

  11,565

  41

  15

  14,678

  58

  Companies House*

  10

  45

  100

  10

  33

  100

  Employment Tribunals Service**

  6

  46

  93

  —

  —

  —

  Insolvency Service

  10

  398

  96

  10

  34

  88

  Patent Office

  10

  367

  98

  10

  484

  98

  Radiocommunication Agency12

  10

  44

  89

  —

  —

  —

  Small Business Service***

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  * Letters sent direct to Agency Chief Executive.

  ** Target date for letters sent direct to Agency = 15 working days.

  *** Figures included in main DTI return.

  Department of Transport, Local Government and the Regions

  15

  7,671

  83

  —

  —

  —

  Department for Transport

  15

  6,505

  84

  15

  10,196

  88

  Driving Standards Agency

  15

  56

  98

  15

  108

  90

  DVLA

  10

  729

  99

  7

  1,028

  99

  Highways Agency

  15

  273

  96

  15

  263

  85

  Maritime and Coastguard Agency

  15

  27

  100

  10

  33

  97

  Vehicle Inspectorate

  15

  27

  100

  —

  —

  —

  Vehicle and Operator Services Agency

  —

  —

  —

  15

  25

  92

  HM Treasury4

  15

  4,647

  78

  15

  4,036

  83

  Treasury Solicitor's Department

  10

  26

  100

  10

  34

  100

  Wales Office

  15

  118

  97

  15

  120

  82

  Department for Work and Pensions

  20

  14,297

  65

  20

  12,157

  74

  Appeals Service

  15

  52

  88

  15

  84

  88

  Benefits Agency

  20

  504

  87

  —

  —

  —

  Child Support Agency

  20

  3,194

  51

  20

  3,521

  87

  Employment Service

  15

  72

  95

  —

  —

  —

  Jobcentre Plus

  15

  1,103

  57

  15

  1,052

  69

  The Pension Service

  15

  511

  71

  15

  1,157

  50

  Disability and Carers Service

  15

  749

  100

  15

  554

  99

  Debt Management

  15

  30

  86

  15

  31

  85

  Child Benefit Centre13

  20

  20

  95

  20

  11

  91

  Health and Safety Executive

  —

  —

  —

  10

  195

  91

  1 Departments and Agencies which received 10 MPs/Peers letters or less during 2003 are not shown in this table. Holding or interim replies are not included unless otherwise indicated.

  2 DCA is currently undertaking changes to its processes for handling correspondence. In the short term these have lead to delays in response time, but in the longer term will improve the quality of responses. These changes include quality control of all responses, and revising the DCA correspondence monitoring system.

  3 Formerly the Public Record Office.

  4 Includes all Ministerial correspondence.

  * The statistics for the FSA are dominated by a single lobbying campaign which accounted for almost 70% of its total annual correspondence. The Agency is reviewing its procedures for handling peaks of work arising from such a campaign. Majority of replies are signed by Health Ministers.

  6 2003 figures also include a small number of letters from members of the public.

  7 Department of Health improved its performance to just under 70% in the last quarter of 2003.

  8 Figures include a small number of interim replies relating to correspondence sent to HM Prison Service. 2003 performance figures also include 16,268 cases answered directly by the Director General of the Immigration and Nationality Directorate. Response times to these cases relate to drafting performance only. Figures based on final replies will be available for 2004. Immigration and Nationality Directorate response target was increased to 20 working days with effect from 1 April 2003 to account for the wide geographical spread of offices and the nature of the correspondence which is predominantly about specific cases rather than policy issues.

  9 The CRB target was raised from 5 to 10 working days at the beginning of 2003 to reflect the standard set out in the CRB's Corporate Plan.

  10 Performance suffered due to the exceptionally high volume of correspondence following the introduction of the Working and Child Tax Credits in April 2003 and because, early in 2003–04, the Revenue's priority was to get claimants into payment. Since the processing of tax credits claims has been stable, the Revenue has restored normal complaints-handling procedures and increased the resources on its complaints teams. As a result, performance should begin to improve.

  11 DTI increased its response target from 10 to 15 working days with effect from 1 January in line with other main Whitehall departments.

  12 2003 data currently not available because of transfer to OFCOM.

  13 The Child Benefit Centre transferred to the Inland Revenue with effect from 1 April 2003. Figures quoted are for the period 1/1/03 to 31/3/03.

  WS 44