§ Mr. Ashtonasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many contractors have succeeded in obtaining contracts for office cleaning in his Department in the last five years; 332W whether he will publish their names; and how many firms tendered.
§ Mr. PriorContracts for office cleaning in my Department are placed on a regional and local basis. The information requested is therefore not readily available, and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
§ Mr. Ashtonasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what estimate he has made of the annual saving to his Department by employing contractors to do office cleaning instead of employing cleaners as part of his staff.
§ Mr. PriorThe arrangements for cleaning each office building occupied by my Department are considered separately. Once a decision on the method of cleaning to be adopted has been taken, no details of cost of alternative methods are maintained. When contracts come up for renewal, the decision is reviewed.
§ Mr. Ashtonasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will state the annual percentage increase in contract prices for cleaning his Department's offices in 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970 and 1971; and how this compares with the annual percentage wage increase of maintenance staff actually employed by his Department.
§ Mr. PriorThe information on cleaning contract prices over the period in question is not readily available and could not be obtained without disproportionate cost.