§ Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what weight is given to the possible reduction in the numbers of industrial civil servants when assessing whether contracts should be carried out by directly-employed labour or by private contractors;
(2) if the administrative cost of checking tenders submitted by private contractors is taken into account by the Property Services Agency when deciding whether or not the work should be done by directly-employed labour;
(3) whether, on occasions when work can be carried out under the Property Services Agency by directly-employed labour at a lower cost than that quoted by private contractors, it is his policy that such projects should be carried out by directly-employed labour.
§ Sir George YoungMy policy is for the Property Services Agency to keep a direct labour force for maintenance and operating services where this is necessary to meet client Department requirements or where contractors are not available. Contractors already account for nearly three-quarters of the agency's maintenance expenditure, and other work which does not have to be done by direct labour is being transferred to them as the direct labour force declines, mainly by natural wastage. (This process should ease the agency's management task through greater involvement of the private sector).