Autumn Performance Report 2005

Autumn Performance Report 2005
Author: Great Britain: Department for Education and Skills
Publisher: The Stationery Office
Total Pages: 48
Release: 2005-12-13
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 010167192X

Dated December 2005.

Department for Education and Skills autumn performance report 2006

Department for Education and Skills autumn performance report 2006
Author: Great Britain: Department for Education and Skills
Publisher: The Stationery Office
Total Pages: 96
Release: 2006-12-14
Genre: Education
ISBN: 0101699220

This report sets out interim assessments of the progress made by the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) against its Public Service Agreement (PSA) performance targets as agreed in the 2004 Spending Review, together with progress against the Department's efficiency target and the outstanding targets from the 2002 Spending Review. This report is supplementary to the Departmental Report 2006 (Cm. 6812, ISBN 0101681224).

Progress on Tackling Pensioner Poverty

Progress on Tackling Pensioner Poverty
Author: Great Britain: National Audit Office
Publisher: The Stationery Office
Total Pages: 72
Release: 2006-07-21
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 0102942404

The main report is also available (HCP 1178-I, ISBN 0102942315). A previous NAO report on this topic (HCP 37, session 2002-03) (ISBN 0102919577) and a report by the Committee of Public Accounts (HCP 565, session 2002-03) (ISBN 0215009347) are also available.

The Efficiency Savings Programme in Jobcentre Plus

The Efficiency Savings Programme in Jobcentre Plus
Author: Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Work and Pensions Committee
Publisher: The Stationery Office
Total Pages: 100
Release: 2006-03-18
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 9780215027979

During the past two years Jobcentre Plus has faced considerable upheaval in trying to accommodate both organisational change and meet the DWP target for efficiency savings (which requires the loss of 15,000 staff by March 20008). This report looks at how these changes have affected the ability of the Agency to meet its objectives in relation to: employment and training programmes; the capacity and role of Personal Advisors; the performance of the Customer Management System; the principles behind and the performance of Contact Centres. It concludes that too much was attempted too quickly, the planning and IT processes were not up to the job and service levels suffered. As a result Jobcentre Plus failed one of the tests of the Gershon programme that service quality should not deteriorate as a result of the efficiency process.

Ministry of Defence main estimates 2007-08

Ministry of Defence main estimates 2007-08
Author: Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Defence Committee
Publisher: The Stationery Office
Total Pages: 40
Release: 2007-07-10
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 0215034961

The Main Supply Estimates are the means by which the Government requests resources from Parliament to meet its expenditure plans for the coming financial year, setting out a resource-based Estimate for each Department and for public service pension schemes. The Committee's report focuses on the Estimates for the Ministry of Defence (MoD) for 2007-08 (HCP 438, session 2006-07; ISBN 9780102944969). It identifies no issues which require to be debated by the House of Commons before the House is asked to agree to the Main Estimates, but the report highlights the fact that MoD's request for resources of £33.7 billion in the Main Estimates does not include the expected costs of military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan and so greatly underestimates the total expected cost of the MoD's activities in 2007-08. It argues that the MoD should include estimated costs of military operations in its Main Estimates, instead of waiting for the Supplementary Estimates as it does at present, as it is unacceptable that the MoD is incurring costs on military operations, without parliamentary approval and without even providing Parliament with an outline of the anticipated costs.

The Performance of the Child Support Agency: Report

The Performance of the Child Support Agency: Report
Author: Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Work and Pensions Committee
Publisher: The Stationery Office
Total Pages: 86
Release: 2005
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 9780215021472

The Committee's report examines continuing concerns about the performance of the Child Support Agency (CSA), particularly in relation to its compliance and enforcement regime. Issues discussed include: the old and new child support schemes; performance targets and information management; the IT problems encountered; child support assessments; compliance targets and debt levels; enforcement measures in the UK and other countries, notably Australia; staffing issues including staff training, job cuts, pay and morale; and options for urgent action and longer term reforms. The CSA is found to be a failing organisation which is currently in crisis, and requires radical reform in order to provide an acceptable service. Senior management has failed to provide effective leadership through significant cultural shift, with deficient training given to frontline staff and inadequate monitoring procedures in place. The Committee strongly recommends that proposed job cuts be suspended until the Agency's business transformation programme, including its IT system, is proved to be fully functioning. If the recommended improvements are not made, the CSA may need to be wound up and alternative policies implemented to provide financial support and maintenance for children.

Debating Departmental Objectives and Annual Reports

Debating Departmental Objectives and Annual Reports
Author: Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Select Committee on Modernisation of the House of Commons
Publisher: The Stationery Office
Total Pages: 44
Release: 2008
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 9780215515001

Debating departmental objectives and annual Reports : Second report of session 2007-08, report, together with formal minutes and written Evidence