Annex D: Government Standards

Fraud

1. Continued publicity given to the Defence Fraud Analysis Unit (DFAU) and MOD Police as reporting points for suspected fraud sustained the increased volume of 'whistleblowing' disclosure. This contributed to the total of 216 suspected cases of fraud and theft recorded by the DFAU, with an estimated value of £2.5M. Suspected contract fraud accounted for 42 of these cases and for £2.2M of the estimated value. Action was put in hand to revise, simplify and update internal guidance and policy on the reporting and handling of suspicions, much of which was put into the wider context of financial irregularity and abuse of authority, thus extending the overview of potential risk. A new integrated database of reported suspicions was created. A programme of fraud risk awareness training covered some 6,000 staff in the UK and overseas (compared to 4,000 last year) and, in development of a proactive stance, the DFAU undertook a total of six spot checks across the department on procedures attracting recognised risk.

Bill Paying Performance

2. The Departmental aim remained to pay bills in accordance with agreed contractual conditions or, where no such conditions exist, within thirty days of receipt of goods and services or the presentation of a valid invoice. Details of performance shown in Table 23 are also set out in the Forewords to the relevant Agency Accounts, which have been agreed with the National Audit Office.

3. In 2002/03 the Trading Funds represented about 2% of the bills paid by MOD. In the following table their performance, although improved, appears to be slightly below that of MOD Headquarters. This is largely a result of small differences in the contractual period in which invoices are accepted as valid.

Open Government

4. In accordance with the Government timetable for implementation of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act 2000, MOD's Publication Scheme was launched at the end of November 2002. This represents a commitment to make over one hundred 'Classes of Information' available proactively on a continuous basis. Much of the information can be accessed directly from the electronic version of the Publication Scheme (http://www.foi.mod.uk). We have also continued to use MOD's website to provide more dynamic information. In particular, regular headline reports have been posted to chart the progress of major deployments such as Operation TELIC (in Iraq), and to provide a plethora of supporting background material such as maps, photographs, speeches, statements, reports and links to related sites.  

5. The second major FOI milestone occurs on 1 January 2005 when the general right of access to information comes into force. In August 2002, a Programme Board was formed to give strategic direction to the work that is underway to promote awareness of the Act and to develop Department-wide policies and procedures for compliance with the new right. Given MOD's size, scale and diversity (both geographic and functional), this represents a major challenge. The aim is to complete key preparatory stages in 2003/04 in order to have time to test and refine our approach before January 2005. The programme of FOI preparations also includes an audit exercise to review the information we hold. In parallel with this the review of records that have been closed for more than thirty years is continuing: 94 such records were released to the Public Records Office in 2002, bringing the total number to 12,140 since inception of the review programme in 1992.  

6. In advance of full implementation of the FOI Act, MOD continues to respond to requests for information in accordance with the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information:

Accountability to Parliament

7. During 2002/03, the Department responded to three reports published by the Committee of Public Accounts and five House of Commons Defence Committee Reports:

Parliamentary Correspondence

8. Table 27 shows Departmental and agency performance in replying to Ministerial Correspondence (that is, letters from Parliamentarians to Ministers) during 2002/03.

Sponsorship

9. As part of the Government's response to the Sixth Report of the Committee on Standards in Public Life, the MOD compiles a summary of all sponsorship of MOD activities by the private or voluntary sector valued at over £5,000. Table 28 shows the information for 2002/03.

Safety, Health, Environment and Fire

10. In 2002/03, the Department addressed a wide range of Safety, Health, Environment and Fire (SHEF) issues. For example, we:

• Completed the review of the Third Tier Arrangement Implementing Joint Operational Plan Part 1. This establishes the policies and responsibilities of the MOD, the US Department of Defence, UK and US response forces, and other responsible UK and US authorities to ensure a co-ordinated response to an accident or significant incident involving US nuclear weapons or nuclear components in the UK, including its internal waters and territorial sea.
   
• Hosted a meeting of a new network of Defence environmental policy experts from European Union Member States (DEFNET). This agreed a framework for regular communication on environmental issues of mutual interest to facilitate the adoption of best practice in the protection of the environment by the Defence sector, and to help ensure that Defence needs are taken into account during the development of environmental legislation.
   
• Continued work on two separate but inter-linked work-streams within the Department that will affect the future of the Ministry of Defence Fire Service – the Airfield Support Services Project and the Fire Study 2000.
   
• Provided military personnel for emergency fire-fighting and rescue during industrial action by the Fire Brigades Union.
   
• Delivered fire safety advice and operational fire-fighting capability in Iraq (Operation TELIC), at Banja Luka and Sipovo in Bosnia Herzegovina, in Kosovo at Pristina and Podujevo and in Afghanistan at Bagram Airport; and supported the demobilisation programme to retrain soldiers as firefighters in Bosnia Herzegovina in support of the stability pact.
   
• Received endorsement from the Defence SHEF Board of the Department's Climate Change Strategy. The Strategy will quantify the MOD's contribution to global climate change in terms of its total emissions of greenhouse gases, and determine targets for reductions in those emissions.
   
• Signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Transport for London enabling certain MOD vehicles to be eligible for a 100% discount in respect of the Central London Congestion Charging Scheme.
   
• Published strategies for business travel and water consumption in response to agreed published cross-Government targets under the Framework for Sustainable Development on the Government Estate (details at http://www.sustainable-development.gov.uk and http://www.mod.uk/dsef/environmental.htm).
   
• Continued work on establishing a MOD sustainable development strategy, based on the Government model.
   
• Launched a Sustainable Development Steering Group to oversee the development of MOD's sustainable development strategy and serve to promote the integration of sustainable development principles into all decision-making processes across the Department.
   
• Joined seven other Government departments in piloting an integrated policy appraisal (IPA) tool developed by the Department for the Environment Food and Rural Affairs. Two pilot IPA studies examining 'A New Chapter to the Strategic Defence Review' and the UK Military Flying Training System are currently underway.
   
• Trialled successfully the Department's integrated audit methodology for SHEF management.
   
• Published procedures for this methodology in the Departmental SHEF Audit Manual and introduced the methodology within MOD and the Trading Fund Agencies.
   
• Issued an updated version of the MOD Health and Safety Handbook (JSP 375).

Last Updated: 3 Dec 03