TRANSFERRED STAFF (Hansard, 11 June 1990)

§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Environment (Mr. Christopher Chope)
I beg to move, That this House doth agree with the Lords in the said amendment.

§ Mr. Clive Soley (Hammersmith)
This matter should not take long, although I had thought that the Minister would take the time to explain to the House why, after a great deal of argument by myself and my hon. Friends in Committee, not least by my hon. Friend the Member for Linlithgow (Mr. Dalyell), at that stage the Minister did not see sense, and why he has come to see sense as a result of what happened in the Lords.
The amendment is very much along the lines that we suggested in Committee. It will provide greater protection for the work force, which is what we were arguing for. If the Minister had agreed in Committee, it would not have been necessary to proceed in this way, but the House of Lords has seen fit to disagree with the Minister, and I am pleased about that. I am also pleased that the Minister accepts the Lords amendment. As I have said, it would have been easier if he had accepted that view in our Committee, but who am I to be churlish at this late hour and not to accept the Minister's late conversion?
I still have anxieties about the Bill but, as we are limited in what we can say in a Lords amendment debate, I shall simply say that it is a pleasure to accept the amendment. I do so happily, because it improves the position of the employees in the service, which is what is important to us.

§ Mr. Tam Dalyell (Linlithgow)
If it is within the bounds of order, Mr. Speaker—I realise the limitations on a Lords amendment debate—may I invite the Minister to say whatever he can about any progress that has been made since the Committee stage? One of the troubles with the House of Commons is that we pass all these laws but do not monitor them properly. In a year's time, I for one would like to see how the provisions have worked out and to be able to read a serious report on what has happened. In the meantime, if it is in order, I invite the Minister to comment on how things have progressed since the Bill was in Standing Committee.

§ Mr. Chope
I am invited to do that, but all that I can say is that bids for the Crown Suppliers are under consideration at the moment. That is the current position.

§ Mr. Dalyell
Does the Minister have a timetable for when the decision is likely to be made? This matter seems to be going on and on, and some of us were under the impression that things would have been finalised by now. We may not have liked the Bill, but we thought that matters would be finalised.

§ Mr. Peter Griffiths (Portsmouth, North)
I very much welcome the amendment, because it clarifies a previously uncertain situation. Although it does not meet the needs of everyone concerned with employment in PSA, at least we now know exactly what the position is and can respond properly to our constituents.

§ Mr. Bob Cryer (Bradford, South)
This amendment relates to what is effectively the privatisation of the Crown Suppliers. I ask the Minister for the assurance that, if bids are accepted, any and all information relating to the procedure will be given to all the bidders and that there will not be any secret information to be given only to civil servants, as has happened with the privatisation of the skill centres, which involved a good deal of criticism, not to say cynicism. I hope that the Minister can assure the House that everything will be completely open and above board, with all the bidders following the same fair and square procedure, with no insider dealing.

§ Mr. Chope
I am happy to assure the hon. Member for Bradford, South (Mr. Cryer) and the House that all the bids are in and are being considered on the same basis.

§ Mr. Cryer
rose——

§ Mr. Dalyell
rose——

§ Mr. Speaker
Order. This is not a Committee.

§ Mr. Cryer
I was intervening in the Minister's speech.

§ Mr. Speaker
I think that the Minister had sat down.

§ Mr. Chope
Yes.

§ Mr. Speaker
In that case, I must put the Question.