HC Deb 28 February 1983 vol 38 cc45-6W
Dr. David Clark

asked the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his reply of 27 January, Official Report, c. 499, to the hon. Member for Aberdeen, North (Mr. Hughes) how much the firm of Sell Frischmann and Partners has been paid in consultancy fees since May 1979; how many times it has been awarded a contract; and how many of those contracts were awarded by competitive tender.

Mr. Dixon

asked the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his reply of 26 January, Official Report, c. 499, to the hon. Member for Aberdeen, North (Mr. Hughes) how much the firm of Posford Pavry and Partners has been paid in consulting fees since May 1979; how many times it has been awarded a contract; and how many of those contracts were awarded by competitive tender.

Mr. Ray Powell

asked the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his reply of 27 January, Official Report, c. 499, to the hon. Member for Aberdeen, North (Mr. Hughes) how much the firm of Pendell Palmer and Tritton has been paid in consultancy fees since May 1979; how many times it has been awarded a contract; and how many of those contracts were awarded by competitive tender.

Mr. David Howell

The information on the number of highway schemes for which these firms have been appointed as main consultants and on their consultancy fees and expenses is as follows:

Number of schemes Fees and expenses paid since May 1979 £
Pell Frischmann and Partners *5 1,435,000
Posford Pavry and Partners 1 Nil
Rendell Palmer and Tritton 1 110,000
* Four schemes were transferred from the West Yorkshire road construction Sub-Unit.

As I said in reply to the right hon. Member for Barrow-in-Furness (Mr. Booth) on 16 February 1983, for highway schemes consultants are usually appointed from a short list of firms, selected for their expertise, quality of work, and general suitability rather then through formal competitive tendering. That was the process whereby the Department awarded all of the above commissions. There were however additional criteria for the schemes transferred from the Road Construction Sub-Unit and a longer list of firms was considered.—[Vol. 37, c. 173].