§ Mr. Eggarasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list those functions or parts of his Department which by virtue of (a) the extent of appropriations in aid attributable to them or (b) their commercial character in other respects or (c) for any other reason, he considers could be satisfactorily performed by or transferred to the private sector.
§ Mr. HeseltineI keep under constant review, especially through the MINIS system, the opportunities for privatisation or for contracting out of appropriate functions or parts of my Department. Examples of activities that are currently being wholly or partly performed by or transferred to the private sector are as follows:
Department of the Environment (Central):
- Cleaning Services
- Departmental training
- Certain maintenance work at some ancient monuments
- Catering and deck chair services in Royal parks
- (From early 1983) inspection and advisory work for resurvey of historic buildings
- Hydraulic research station
- Audit of local authorities
Property Services Agency:
- Property maintenance
- Design of major projects
- Estate work
- Supplies
- All new construction work.