Mr. John David Taylorasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many tenders for the new sewage works at Newtownbreda in Castlereagh borough have been received from firms in Northern Ireland, Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland, respectively; what was the price of each tender; which tender has been accepted; what precautions are being taken to ensure the safety of employees during the period of contract; and whether the successful tenderer has signed the Fair Employment Agency register for employers.
§ Mr. NeedhamFor the civil engineering works contract for the Newtownbreda sewage treatment works extension, nine tenders were received from companies with registered offices in Northern Ireland, none from companies with registered offices in Great Britain and one from a company with a registered office in the Republic of Ireland. Tenders ranged in value from £2,947,000 to £3,694,000. The lowest tender was accepted and this was submitted by a company with a registered office in Northern Ireland. The safety of employees during a contract is primarily the responsibility of the contractor. The successful tenderer is registered by the Fair Employment Agency. Tenders have been invited for the supply and installation of mechanical and electrical plant at the sewage treatment works extension. Tenders are currently under consideration and it would be in breach of commercial confidence to disclose details of tenders received until the contract has been awarded.