§ Mr. MorganTo ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what guidelines he has issued with respect to in-house bids in market-testing exercises and the circumstances in which there should not be in-house bids in such exercises. [20867]
§ Mr. HoramGuidance on in-house bids is set out in the "Government's Guide to Market Testing', a copy of which is available in the Library of the House. Examples of the circumstances in which in-house bids might not be considered are set out in the White Paper "Taking forward Continuity and Change', Cm 2748. They include occasions when a Department judges that the private sector is clearly better equipped to deliver a specific service, has a better understanding of market needs or has a capacity to invest in new technology or where an activity is relatively small and peripheral to a department's functions. It is, however, for individual Departments to decide in each case whether or not to consider an in-house bid.