HC Deb 22 July 1969 vol 787 cc333-6W
Mr. Marples

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works, of the products procured by his Department regularly for three years or more, what proportion has, within the last three years, been specifically reviewed to evaluate product design against present need and potential cost reduction.

Mr. John Silkin

Over the past three years the design and specification of 60 per cent to 70 per cent. of the products regularly procured have been reviewed. Product design and specification have been updated to take account of current needs on a value-for-money basis. An increasing number of staff are being trained in value engineering techniques.

Mr. Marples

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works what Committee exists within his Department to coordinate procurement policies; what is its composition and terms of reference: and how often it meets.

Mr. John Silkin

There is no formal Committee within my department. Two interdepartmental Committees, the Procurement Policy Committee and the Purchase and Sale of Goods Committee coordinate procurement policies throughout the Government service. These policies are promulgated in departmental codes of instructions, supplemented by close contact at all levels between the officers concerned.

Mr. Marples

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works whether manuals of procurement instructions and regulations are provided for procurement officers in his Department; and what arrangements are made to ensure compliance.

Mr. John Silkin

Codes of instructions, the Contracts Code, the Supplies Division Code and a Purchasing Handbook, are provided by my Department for the use of procurement officers in both Contracts and Supplies Divisions. These are supplemented by circular instructions as necessary. Compliance is ensured by the normal processes of supervision, and audit arrangements.

Mr. Marples

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works what proportion of procurement staff in his Department are late entrants into the Civil Service with more than one year's previous commercial experience of procurement.

Mr. John Silkin

No proportion.

Mr. Marples

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works, what are the salaries of the most senior officer with full-time responsibility for procurement, and of those reporting directly to him.

Mr. John Silkin

The salary scale of the most senior officer engaged full time on the procurement of stores is being negotiated with the National Staff Side but is expected to be £4,745–£5,325 per annum with effect from 1st July, 1969. The four officers reporting directly to him are on the salary scale £3,128– £3,695 per annum with effect from 1st July, 1969. Both these pay scales include the Inner London Allowance.

Mr. Marples

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works what staff, by number and grades, is allocated full-time to standardisation and variety reduction within his Department.

Mr. John Silkin

No staff are allocated full-time to this work. However, each range of items is periodically reviewed with the aim of standardisation as between different users and variety reduction. As an example, a review of domestic equipment which includes those items supplied to Ministry of Defence for use in their married quarters is approaching completion and it is expected that the list of items regularly purchased will be reduced by 40 per cent.

Mr. Marples

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works what is the average length of service in the procurement function of staff currently allotted to it.

Mr. John Silkin

About five years.

Mr. Marples

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works, to what extent the same organisation and staff of his Department is required to handle negotiated procurement and competitive tendering; and what proportion of staff is allocated to each.

Mr. John Silkin

Within certain limits, my Supplies Division handle both negotiated procurement and competitive tendering in accordance with procedures laid down by my Contracts Directorate. Above these limits, approval must be obtained from my Contracts Directorate. The limits are higher for competitive tendering, which accounts for 90 per cent. by value of the purchases, than for negotiated procurement.

Mr. Marples

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works what is the establishment, by numbers of staff in each grade, of each directorate or section concerned with procurement; and what has been its average strength in each of the past three years.

Mr. John Silkin

In my Supplies Division, where nearly 90 par cent. by value of all procurement contracts are let, the average number of staff in each grade was as follows:

Grade 1966 1967 1968
Principal Executive Officer ½ 1 1
Senior Chief Executive Officer 1 ¼
Chief Executive Officer 2 3
Senior Executive Officer 8 8 8
Higher Executive Officer 31 29 30
Executive Officer 87 83 86
Providing clerical assistance
Clerical Officer 195 197 208
Clerical Assistant 87 90 87

Within my Directorate of Contracts the average number of staff in each grade associated with procurement was as follows:—

Grade 1966 1967 1968
Senior Chief Executive Officer ½ ½ ½
Senior Executive Officer
Higher Executive Officer 3 3
Executive Officer 3

In both Divisions the staff in post has been substantially the same as the authorised complement.

The residual 10 per cent. of procurement takes place in numerous sections of my Department's regional organisation at home and overseas.

Mr. Marples

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works to which professional institutes and institutions procurement staff belong; and how many of the staff belong to each of these professional bodies.

Mr. John Silkin

One officer is a Fellow of the Institute of Purchasing and Supply. One officer is an Associate of the Institute of Cost and Works Accountants. In addition the Principal Accountant and his staff, who form an integral part of my Contracts Directorate, are professionally qualified.