§ Mr. ForthTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give for the review of compulsory competitive tendering in Scotland(a) the expected completion date and (b) the cost of conducting the review. [8243]
§ Mr. ChisholmMy right hon. Friend announced on 27 May and to the House on 2 June,Official Report, columns 67–68, that he was suspending Compulsory Competitive Tendering (CCT) for a further year in Scotland while the essential elements of the new Best Value arrangements in local government were being developed. Together with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities, he established a Task Force to develop these. The Task force presented their draft first report to my right hon. Friend and COSLA on 4 July. By the autumn, councils will be required to assess themselves to see how far they meet these essential elements, if they wish to apply for further exemption from CCT. My right hon. Friend will then consider whether to grant further exemptions from CCT. Costs of the Task Force work have been met from The Scottish Office budget in the usual way.