§ Mr. Ashtonasked the Secretary of State for Employment how many contractors have succeeded in obtaining contracts for office cleaning in his Department in the last five years; whether he will publish their names; and how many firms tendered.
§ Mr. Dudley SmithIn my Department the letting of contracts is undertaken at regional level and it is normal practice to seek five tenders for any contract. The other information requested is not readily available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
§ Mr. Ashtonasked the Secretary of State for Employment 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. Dudley SmithThe information requested is not readily available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
§ Mr. Ashtonasked the Secretary of State for Employment what estimate he has made of the annual saving to his Department by employing contractors to do 343W office cleaning instead of employing cleaners as part of his staff.
§ Mr. Dudley SmithEstimates are not made on this basis. Each building is looked at separately and once a decision has been made on the method of cleaning to be employed records of alternative costs are not maintained. When contracts come up for renewal the decision is reviewed.