§ Mr. McAllionTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list all those services or functions that have been contracted out from his Department since November 1991 without market testing an in-house bid against external competition, with, in each instance, the successful contractor and the reasons for the decisions to exclude an in-house bid.
§ Mr. Ian LangI refer the hon. Member to the answer that 1 gave him on 17 February, at column169. Of the functions listed in that answer, property management at the Scottish police college, the management and maintenance of court houses, the building and plan maintenance for the Scottish fire service training school 589W and property management at the marine laboratory, Aberdeen were all previously undertaken by the Property Services Agency on behalf of the Scottish Office. The toll collection at Erskine bridge was examined and tenders invited under the procedures obtaining before the publication of the White Paper "Competing for Quality" in November 1991. External tenders were examined against the existing in-house service. The audit of two national health service trusts involved new work. The Scottish Office audit unit submitted bids for the work but these were unsuccessful. I am encouraging in-house bids in all the activities currently being market tested.