§ Mrs. Jane KennedyTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the names and grades of the members of the panel appointed by his Department to evaluate the in-house bid by Defence Accounts Agency Department of Accounts (Bills), Liverpool to retain the service it provides at present. [16917]
§ Mr. FreemanThe panel appointed to evaluate the bid submitted by the Accounts (Bills) in-house team is:
Name Grade Department Mr. M. J. Dymond Grade 3 Chief Executive, Defence Accounts Agency (Chairman) Mrs. S. A. Beaver Grade 5 Director of Procurement (Finance) Mr. M. A. Rowe Grade 5 Director of Accounts (Bills) Mr. D. A. Thomas Grade 6 Assistant Director of Accounts (Staff) Mr. P. J. Chafer Grade 6 Assistant Director of Accounts (Budgets and Agency)
§ Mrs. Jane KennedyTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence on which basis he estimates that the total running cost of providing the service currently provided by Defence Accounts Agency Department of Accounts (Bills), Liverpool would be 20 per cent. lower if it were provided by a private sector firm. [16913]
§ Mr. FreemanThis figure of 20 per cent. represents a level of savings achieved in other market-testing exercises. This is the target the in-house team have been asked to aim at in formulating its bid.
§ Mrs. Jane KennedyTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what market testing criteria are applicable to the in-house bid by Defence Accounts Agency Department of Accounts (Bills) for the retention of its service. [16915]
§ Mr. FreemanThe Accounts (Bills) in-house bid is being handled under the Department's market testing procedures. The bid is presently being evaluated against a formal statement of requirement, and if it is compliant a three-year service level agreement will be recorded between the MOD and the in-house team. The criteria for evaluating the bid include service delivery and standards, customer satisfaction,. flexibility and overall value for money.
§ Mrs. Jane KennedyTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the decision to reduce the running costs of Defence Accounts Agency Department of Accounts (Bills), Liverpool by 20 per cent. by 31 March 1996. [16918]
§ Mr. FreemanThe decision to keep the work of Accounts (Bills) in-house was made on the understanding that the in-house team should be asked to achieve the sort630W of savings that might have been possible with a full commercial test. The financial target is 20 per cent. but the in-house team's bid will also be evaluated against a formal statement of requirement which includes quality, standard of service and value for money performance criteria.
§ Mrs. Jane KennedyTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessments he has made of the impact on running costs of having the works currently carried out by Defence Accounts Agency Department of Accounts (Bills), Liverpool contracted out to a private sector firm. [16914]
§ Mr. FreemanNo specific assessment has been made although the levels of saving achieved through market testing have influenced the financial target set for the Accounts (Bills) in-house team.
§ Mrs. Jane KennedyTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what contingency plans he has for maintaining the service provided by Defence Accounts Agency Department of Accounts (Bills), Liverpool in the event of its in-house bid being unsuccessful. [16916]
§ Mr. FreemanThe in-house bid is being evaluated. If it fails to meet the requirement the options for maintaining the service provided by Accounts (Bills) will be reviewed in the light of the reasons for non-compliance.