HC Deb 04 June 1991 vol 192 cc164-5W
Mr. Austin Mitchell

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment what is his estimate of the number and average value of residential properties in each English region and in Wales, together with his estimate of the value of the housing stock in each case.

Mr. Key

The table provides the information requested.

(3) why it was decided not to use measured term contractors in the case of contracts allocated by the district works office, royal parks, for work carried out in Regent's park in the years 1988, 1989 and 1990.

Sir George Young

PSA Services, Building Management. London (BML) is employed to undertake maintenance work at the Rose Garden restaurant. For that type of work detailed procedures exist relating to the selection of the appropriate method by which individual services are to be executed, the supervision of that work and the scrutiny of invoices prior to payment authorisation. The district works officer and regional management are required to carry out regular personal checks of randomly selected orders; and the district works office is the subject of other management reviews, the results of which are passed to BM L's management board.

Mr. Campbell-Savours

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many contracts were given by the district works office, royal parks, to Baker Bros. (Grays) Ltd. of Essex in each year since 1988.

Sir George Young

The number of contracts placed with that company in those years was five.

Mr. Campbell-Savours

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he has taken to assure himself that the allocation of contracts by the district works office, royal parks, to Baker Bros. (Grays) Ltd. of Essex in 1988. 1989 and 1990 complied with all departmental guidelines.

Sir George Young

Three of the contracts were awarded to the company as a result of competitive tendering in accordance with departmental guidelines and in which the company made the most favourable offer. The other two were for very small value works, which the district works officer placed with the company in accordance with his delegated authority.

Mr. Campbell-Savours

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether contract work to the open air theatre at Regent's park, allocated by the district works office, royal parks, was completed within budget.

Sir George Young

Since the formation of the district works office, royal parks, works services on this site have comprised minor maintenance and minor new works. Some cost overruns have occurred. By its very nature, work in existing property is likely to encounter unforeseeable problems which may result in additional expenditure. However, if the cost of such services exceeds the estimate, procedures require the matter to be referred to management for approval of the additional cost. Since 1 April 1990, the funding of works services in the royal parks has been the responsibility of DOE central's royal parks division, which approves each individual service and any significant variation.