§ 16. Mr. McAllionTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he next intends to meet representatives from the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities; and what matters will be discussed.
§ Mr. RifkindI have arranged to meet representatives of the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities on Friday 28 April to begin consultations on the revenue support grant settlement for 1990–91.
§ Mr. McAllionWill the Secretary of State take that opportunity to discuss with COSLA the current round of competitive tendering and the fact that multinational companies such as Sitaclean and United Kingdom Waste have been showing an interest in picking up local authority contracts in Scotland? Will he explain to COSLA and to the rest of us how the awarding of contracts to multinational companies, whose headquarters are respectively in Paris and London, is an example of the Government devolving real power and control to the Scottish people?
§ Mr. RifkindIrrespective of whether a local authority or a company carries out the services, I presume that they will employ local people. Therefore the implications for 192 employment are the same, irrespective of where the employer is based. The objective of competitive tendering is to ensure a good quality of service for the local community in order that the resources available can be used to the maximum benefit of the community.