§ Mr. RedmondTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what contracts his Department and his agencies have with Serco Ltd.; what is the current cost; when each contract ends; what are the penalties involved should he seek early termination of the contract; and if he will make a statement. [26686]
§ Mr. BurtThe information is not held centrally in the format requested and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
The Department has many local budget holders who purchase services form contractors offering the best value for money and quality of service. There is no central record of purchases categorised by contractor. Such information as is available indicates that the Department has several contracts with Serco totalling between £5 million and £10 million.
Estimated SERPS expenditure £ billion 1994–95 prices Year 1994–95 2000–01 2010–11 2020–21 2030–31 Pre-Social Security Act 1986 regime1 1.8 4.2 12.0 25.0 41.0 Pre-Pensions Act 1995 regime2 1.8 4.2 9.2 14.5 18.7 Post-Pensions Act 1995 regime2 1.8 4.2 8.4 10.9 12.0 1 Figures are approximations based on figures from the Social Security Bill 1986, report by the Government Actuary on the financial effects of the Bill on the national insurance fund, Cmnd 9711, allowing for an extra 5 million people contracted out in appropriate personal pensions, and the report by the Government Actuary on the financial effects of the Pensions Bill 1994 on the national insurance fund, Cm 2714. They assume price uprating of benefits and are in respect of retirement pensioners only. 2 The figures are taken from the report by the Government Actuary on the financial effects of the Pensions Bill 1994 on the national insurance fund, Cm 2714, assuming price uprating of benefits and are in respect of retirement pensioners only.