(2) which key performance indicators are used by his Department to measure the performance of the Deposit Protection Service; and if he will make a statement;
(3) what rating was reported by the Deposit Protection Service in relation to each of its key performance indicators in each of the last six months.
The Deposit Protection Service (DPS) is required to submit monthly reports on 11 key performance indicators, listed as follows, under the terms of its contract with Communities and Local Government. The reports are commercially confidential and will not be placed in the Library. However, I can report that in each of the last six months, the DPS met or exceeded all of the performance targets.
Key performance indicator Target 1. Call answer: All calls to the helpline to be answered by a customer service representative within a monthly average of 90 seconds within the defined hours of operation 90 seconds 2. System availability: Availability of web access to the system for end users; Provision of a web/online interface available, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, exclusive of scheduled downtime 99 per cent. 3. Time needed for a substantive response to written, e-mail and web-based inquiries and complaints (including to provide confirmation of deposit protection to tenants): Responses to written inquiries (including fax) dispatched within four business days (excluding the day of receipt) 4 business days 4. Confirmation of registration dispatched to landlord within three business days of receipt of a completed registration by phone, paper, or online (excluding the day of registration) 3 business days 5. Deposit funds that are given to service provider banked in a timely manner: (i.e. cheques or any other payment made to service provider) by banking close on the business day following the business day of receipt of deposit funds by the service provider 99 per cent. 6. Confirmation dispatched to landlord of deposit protection and provision of required tenancy information within two business days of funds being cleared by deposit holder (excluding business day on which funds are cleared) 2 business days 7. Deposit plus interest is returned to the appropriate recipient(s) within 10 days from the day that the service provider receives confirmation of its release (i.e. after agreement, ADR decision notification, court decision), (including day of receipt of notification). 100 per cent. 8. Deposit plus interest is returned to the appropriate recipient(s) within five days from the day that the service provider receives confirmation of its release (i.e. after agreement, ADR decision notification, court decision), (including day of receipt of notification) 98 per cent. 9. Resolution of disputes by the ADR service within 28 days from the notification of dispute (following agreement by both landlord and tenant to use the ADR service, (excluding the day of notification)) 95 per cent. 10. Notification dispatched to landlord and tenant of a final ADR decision within one business day of the service provider receiving such notification from the ADR service (excluding the day of notification) 2 business days 11. All scheduled monthly reports and invoices, fully in accordance with the agreement, provided to the authority by the time specified in the Agreement By the time specified
The Deposit Protection Service is a Government authorised tenancy deposit protection scheme but is self-financing and does not receive a budget from Communities and Local Government.
The total number of landlords and letting agents registered with the Deposit Protection Service at the end of each year since the scheme began in April 2007 is set out as follows.
Letting agents registered (cumulative figure) Landlords registered (cumulative figure) As at 31 December 2007 7,825 66,684 As at 31 December 2008 11,928 130,559 As at 14 July 2009 14,399 163,193