§ Mr. MacShaneTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if the Inland Revenue contract with EDS mentioned in his answer of 19 July 1995,Official Report, column 1264, precluded open tendering for software development for self-assessment of taxpayers; what is the estimated cost of EDS' s trial development of self-assessment software; and what is the expected cost over the next five years of full development of the software including delivery and technical support to the public. [27249]
§ Mr. JackAs stated in my answer of 19 July 1995,Official Report, column 1264, the contract between the Inland Revenue and the computer company EDS Ltd. was awarded as a result of an open competition to provide all information technology services to the Inland Revenue for the contract period of 10 years. Software development for the self assessment programme falls within that contract.
Information concerning the cost to the Inland Revenue of producing an electronic version of the return which will be distributed to taxpayers is commercial confidential.