HC Deb 24 May 1999 vol 332 cc35-6W
Mr. Mullin

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 25 March 1999, Official Report, column 383, which tenders for the computerisation of IND reached the final stage of consideration; and if he will make a statement. [84373]

Mr. Mike O'Brien

Two companies were invited to submit Best and Final Offers for this contract. They were Andersen Consulting and Siemens Business Services.

The National Audit Office report on the Immigration and Nationality Directorate Casework Programme concluded that the Directorate's handling of negotiations and the evaluation of bids was thorough. The Directorate became aware at a late stage in the competition that Andersen Consulting's NIRS2 project for the Contributions Agency was running into difficulty, but after consideration concluded that although the NIRS2 situation might have presented a handling problem, it was not so significant as to undermine Andersen Consulting's bid for the Casework Programme.

Of the seven companies listed in the reply I gave to my hon. Friend on 25 March 1999, Official Report, column 383, one did not pre-qualify, three were eliminated at the short-listing stage and one more withdrew by agreement before contract negotiations began.