§ Mr. DalyellTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will place in the Library a copy of the memorandum of agreement to be sent to the groups tendering for the contract to run the proposed new Government data network ; and when he hopes to make a statement on the outcome of the tendering process.
§ Mr. BrookeMemorandums of agreement have yet to be finalised with the three consortia bidding for the Government data network contract. Each memorandum is different and will reflect the solution being offered by a consortium. Publication would be a breach of commercial confidentiality.
I expect to be in a position to announce the outcome of the tendering process early next year. The precise timing depends on the speed with which the Government and consortia are able to complete negotiations and on the content of the tenders. A decision on whether or not to preceed will be taken after tenders have been evaluated.
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§ Mr. DalyellTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps have been taken to assess the feasibility and costs of training civil servants to operate and manage the proposed new Government data network ; for what reasons the Government have rejected this option; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. BrookeGiven the general scarcity of networking skills and experience, the Government are seeking bids from consortia with a proven track record in data communications as the best practical way to provide a GDN service quickly and reliably.
If the project goes ahead the successful contractor will be expected to operate the network management centre. The staffing and management of the application service centres will be the responsibility of Departments using GDN.