To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how the Intervention Board performed against its targets for 1996–97; and what key performance targets he has set the agency for 1997–98. [12075]

The Intervention Board's performance against its key targets in 1996–97 was as follows:

	Target (per cent.)	Performance
Percentage of claims processed within deadlines	99.0	85.0
Percentage of claims processed correctly	98.5	199.5
Cumulative running cost efficiency gains	2.5	5.3
Improvement in index of productivity	6.0	3.0
Ratio of disallowance to European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund funds handled	0.40	Not yet known
To maintain expenditure within vote provision, cash and running cost limits	—	Met
New value for money savings in procurement of goods and services	6.0	6.8
Yield:cost ratio of anti-fraud activities	3.0:1.0	1.2:1.0
1 Results for BSE-related schemes were based on a smaller sample of processed claims because monitoring on the same basis began later in the year.

In agreement with my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Scotland, for Wales and for Northern Ireland, I have set the following targets for 1997–98:

	Target (per cent.)
Percentage of claims processed within deadlines	99.0
Percentage of claims processed correctly	98.5
Cumulative running cost efficiency gains	2.5
Improvement in index of productivity	6.0
Ration of disallowance to EAGGF funds handled	0.40
To maintain expenditure within vote provision, cash and running cost limits	—
New value for money savings in procurement of goods and services	6.5
Yield: cost ratio of anti-fraud activities	3.0:1.0