§ Dr. Kim HowellsTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will list the individuals or organisations from the private sector who have been involved since 18 November 1991(a) in determining areas within his Department for market testing or contracting out or (b) who have advised him of areas that should be market tested or contracted out to market consultants; the total fees or other costs to date charged to his Department by them and the full costs likely to be charged;
(2) if he will list any areas within his Department that have been identified since 18 November (a) by individuals or organisations from the private sector or (b) otherwise as possibly suitable for market testing and contracting out; and what steps are being taken to prevent any non-governmental organisations successfully tendering to carry out work currently undertaken by civil servants 11W facing a conflict of interest between the public interest requirement of this work and other commercial activities they are involved in or other clients they represent.
§ Mr. DorrellFollowing a competitive tendering exercise, the Department has appointed KPMG Management Consultants to assist in identifying activities that might be suitable for market testing. No decisions have been taken on areas for market testing beyond those identified in the Department's contribution to the annex of "Competing for Quality" published on 18 November 1991, a copy of which is available in the Library.
The full costs of external support for the Department's market testing programme cannot be estimated until that programme is decided. Payments under individual consultancy contracts are confidential.
To avoid potential conflicts of interest, all nongovernmental organisations bidding in a market testing exercise will be required to declare any interest that might be contrary to the public interest. In particular, any companies that help to prepare specifications for any service will be excluded from the process of evaluating tenders.