§ Mr. McAllionTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many staff in his Department are assigned to the market testing programme; how much the programme has cost his Department since November 1991; and if he will make a statement.
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§ Mr. Lang[holding answer 15 February 1993]: A new division was established in my Department in August 1992 to co-ordinate the market testing programme. The six staff in the division are not exclusively assigned to market testing work. The division calls on the assistance of other Scottish Office staff and external consultants when required. The cost of the programme, including staff costs and fees for consultancy work, for the period November 1991 to the end of December 1992, is estimated at £425,000.
§ Mr. McAllionTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list all the market tests that have taken place in his Department since November 1991; whether the result was the maintenance of in-house provision or whether the service was contracted out; what was the name of the successful contractor where appropriate; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Lang[holding answer 15 February 1993]: The information requested is set out in the table.
Market tested activity Result Name of contractor Property management at Scottish Police College Contracted out Povall Worthington Toll collection at Erskine Bridge Contracted out Apcoa Parking (UK) Ltd Management and Maintenance of Court Houses (5 contracts) Contracted out Webster and Company Bernard Thorpe Ryden (3 contracts) Solicitor's Office: conveyancing, debt recovery and court work (part) Retained in house Building and plan maintenance for the Scottish Fire Service Training School Contracted out Bell-Ingram Property management, Marine Laboratory, Aberdeen Contracted out Bell-Ingram Audit of 2 National Health Service Trusts (2 contracts) Contracted out Coopers and Lybrand KPMG
(i) Expenditure (£ millions)1 Region 1988–89 1989–90 1990–91 1991–92 South East (excluding London) 183 186 361 245 London 213 225 290 209 North (including Cumbria) 90 97 181 130 Yorkshire and Humberside 117 128 217 164 East Midlands 87 87 182 136 East Anglia 35 38 80 70 South West 74 82 173 126 West Midlands 149 159 273 209 North West (excluding Cumbria) 212 234 372 279 England 1,160 1,237 2,131 1,568 Wales 48 51 94 44 Scotland 170 209 224 168 Note: 1 The expenditure figures are from information supplied by local authorities and represent the authorities' claim for benefit paid and not subsidy received. The 1991–92 are mainly from pre-audit claims.