§ Chris GraylingTo ask the Secretary of State for Health when the report commissioned by the Department to assess the capacity of the supplier market in relation to the National Programme will be published. [100932]
§ Ms BlearsThe analysis and report to assess the capacity of the information technology supplier market in relation to supporting the national programme for IT in the national health service was commissioned by the Department as input to the ongoing procurement process for the programme. It was not intended for publication and its use is covered by the normal rules around safeguarding the privacy of commercially confidential and sensitive information.
We must consider legal advice, the stage at which the formal procurement process is at and the requirement to ensure access to relevant information is made available to all potential suppliers. Assuming that all due requirements are met, a summary of the key findings will be covered in a presentation to be made at the healthcare computing conference in Harrogate on 25 March 2003. The key points will also be subsequently made available on the Department's website.