§ Mr. McAllionTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security 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 decision to exclude an in-house bid.
§ Mr. BurtThe following services have been contracted out without market testing an in-house bid:
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Service Contractor Benefits Agency Travel services to the Department Wagons-Lite Child Support Agency Customer Services Training Coopers and Lybrand Specialist Interviewing Skills Relate Facilities Management Dudley Centre Procord Ltd Facilities Management Falkirk Centre Drake and Scull Technical Services Security and Reception Dudley Centre Security Express Guards Security and Reception Falkirk Centre Centuryan Security Ltd Catering Dudley Centre Gardener Merchant Day Care Nursery Dudley Centre Kinderquest Ltd Day Care Nursery Hastings Centre Kinderquest Ltd Typing and Secretarial Falkirk Centre Manpower PLC Messenger/Telephonists Falkirk Centre Manpower PLC No in-house bid was invited for Benefits Agency travel services because the few clerical staff involved could not provide the professional, accredited, national travel service to the Department for which tenders were being sought.
The child support agency, which will be operational from April 1993, is a completely new agency and services have been contracted out where in-house operations did not exist. Customer services training was contracted out because limited capacity was available in-house to develop and deliver the service required in the time available.