---

Data Protection and Freedom of Information

The hon. Gentleman started off by making a perfectly reasonable point about trade unions, but does he agree that if we seek to evaluate public service jobs such as that of local authority chief executive, a performance-related element should be considered, just as it is in the private sector? One thing that worries me is that last year, a target was set for 80 per cent. of complaints to be dealt with within a year, but, in the current report, the target is down to a smaller percentage. The objectives—the outcomes—seem to be less customer-oriented, yet the salary under discussion will go up significantly.