§ Mr. DonohoeTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what guidelines are currently in force in his Department and its executive agencies relating to competitive tendering and the use of single negotiated tenders; on what grounds single negotiated tenders can be used; and what procedures are in place within his Department to ensure that the use of single negotiated tenders in competitive tendering processes is justified in all cases. [22857]
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonI refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to his question on 19 March,Official Report, column 166. Single negotiated tenders are acceptable only in exceptional circumstances such as where there is effectively no choice of contractor—for example, for reasons of compatibility—or where such action is judged to offer economic advantages; or where there is extreme urgency to provide or restore a service.
§ Mr. DonohoeTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many contracts for goods or services have been awarded by his Department and its executive agencies on the basis of single negotiated contracts in each of the last three years; if he will list the companies involved and the value of the contract in each case; what percentage this represented of contracts awarded by his Department and its agencies after competitive tendering; and, in each case, why the contracts were awarded on the basis of a single negotiated tender. [22873]
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonThe information requested is not recorded centrally within the Department, and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.