§ Mr. DobsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will place in the Library a copy of the contract issued by the Office of Passenger Rail Franchising to Shandwick plc for work as marketing consultants to the Office of Passenger Rail Franchising and his Department.
§ Mr. FreemanNo. The information requested is in confidence for commercial reasons.
§ Mr. DobsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will list all meetings held between Ministers and officials in his Department and the Cabinet Office and all correspondence, in which was discussed the recruitment of marketing consultants by the Office of Passenger Rail Franchising, giving dates and persons involved, together with the nature of each meeting or item of correspondence;
(2) if he will list all meetings held or correspondence between any Ministers and officials in his Department and the Office of Passenger Rail Franchising at which recruitment of marketing consultants by the Office of Passenger Rail Franchising was discussed giving dates and persons involved;
(3) if he will publish a list of all Ministers or officials from his Department who attended presentations by prospective bidders, or who were sent for consultation bid documents by prospective bidders, for the post of marketing consultant to the Office of Passenger Rail Franchising and his Department, together with the dates of attendance or receipt of documents;
(4) if he will list all meetings held, or planned to be held, between Ministers and officials in his Department and 598W Shandwick plc to discuss Shandwick's work as marketing consultants to the Office of Passenger Rail Franchising and his Department, giving dates and persons involved;
(5) if he will list all meetings and correspondence between Ministers or officials of his Department and the Office of Passenger Rail Franchising in which the recruitment of marketing consultants by the Office of Passenger Rail Franchising was discussed, giving dates and persons involved and the nature of each meeting or item of correspondence;
(6) if he will set out each stage of the process whereby Ministers or officials in his Department were consulted by the Office of Passenger Rail Franchising over the recruitment of marketing consultants by the Office of Passenger Rail Franchising; and at whose suggestion and on what date potential work for his Department was included within the brief sent to prospective bidders for this post.
§ Mr. FreemanThe Department appointed the marketing consultants Dewe Rogerson in March 1993 to advise on its marketing strategy for rail privatisation. The targets for the passenger franchising programme set by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State on 22 March 1994 shifted the focus of marketing activity. It was therefore sensible for Opraf to appoint marketing advisers. Officials agreed that the successful consultants would also work direct to the Department on any residual general rail privatisation marketing issues because it would not be right for Government to place different commissions for overlapping work.
Opraf appointed Shandwick Consultants Ltd. following an open competition which was entirely consistent with Cabinet Office guidelines. Officials of Opraf, the Department, the Central Office of Information and Samuel Montagu—merchant banking advisers—formed the sift and selection panels. Ministers were not involved in the selection. They were informed by officials after the selection panel had made its decision. Ministers' only involvement was in responding to a letter dated 19 April 1994 from the hon. Member for Holborn and St. Pancras to Sir Robin Butler.
Dewe Rogerson has been given formal notice of the termination of its contract with the Department. Officials from both the Department and Opraf have since met with Shandwick to discuss the work programme. Ministers have not met Shandwick and have no current plans to do so.
§ Mr. DobsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list all meetings held, or planned to be held, between the Office of Passenger Rail Franchising and Shandwick plc to discuss Shandwick's work as marketing consultants to the Office of Rail Franchising and his Department, giving dates and persons involved.
§ Mr. FreemanA number of meetings with Shandwick are likely to be held separately by the Franchising Director, officials from Opraf and officials from my Department to discuss their work in connection with rail privatisation.