§ Mr. Ashtonasked the Minister of State for Defence how many contractors have succeeded in obtaining contracts for office cleaning in his Department in the last five years; where he will publish their names; and how many firms tendered.
§ Lord BalnielThe information requested is not readily available and210W could not be provided without disproportionate expenditure of time and effort.
§ Mr. Ashtonasked the Minister of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the annual saving to his Department by employing contractors to do office cleaning instead of employing cleaners as part of his staff.
§ Lord BalnielNo estimate has been made of the saving to the Department as a whole of using contract cleaners instead of directly employed labour. Cleaning arrangements are made locally and the required information from the large number of establishments involved is not available.
§ Mr. Ashtonasked the Minister of State for Defence whether he will allow facilities for trade union recruitment and organisation on the premises of his Department during hours in which cleaners are employed.
§ Lord BalnielFacilities for trade union recruitment and organisation are granted to recognised unions in respect of civil servants. My Department is not responsible for such arrangements in respect of employees of contractors, but if any contractor asks for help in providing such facilities on my Department's premises in respect of any of his employees who work there I will consider his request.
§ Mr. Ashtonasked the Minister of State for Defence whether he will state the annual percentage increase in contract prices for cleaning his Department's offices in 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970 and 1971; and how this compares with the annual percentage wage increase of maintenance staff actually employed by his Department.
§ Lord BalnielThis information is not readily available and could not be obtained without disproportionate expenditure of time and effort.