§ Mr. CotterTo ask the President of the Board of Trade how many contracts have been awarded under the private finance initiative in her Department; and if she will list(a) the names of the successful bidders, (b) the time limits and cost of the contract and (c) the criteria used to award the contract. [16530]
§ Mrs. BeckettOne contact has been awarded under the Private Finance Initiative within my Department's area of responsibility. In January 1997, the Coal Authority awarded an £11 million eight year contact with Cap Gemini to design, build and operate a computer system for providing mining information. The successful bidder's tender was assessed as being economically the most advantageous taking into account technical ability, quality and technical assistance.