Property Services Agency

HC Deb 29 January 1985 vol 72 cc127-8W

Mr. Heddle

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish in the Official Report the length of time taken by the Property Services Agency to settle contractors' accounts in respect of measured term contracts for contracts (a) to £500,000, (b) from £500,000 to £1 million, (c) from £1 million to £2 million and (d) over £2 million, respectively.

Sir. George Young

Each order under a measured term contract is the subject of a separate final account. On average, it takes four months from the date of completion of the work to settlement of the final account. During this period the work has to be jointly measured, priced and agreed between the contractor and the agency's quantity surveyor, and the account prepared, checked and submitted for payment. The average time taken to clear final accounts applies to all MTCs irrespective of the total value of the contract. For orders of more than £1,000 in value, the contractor will have been paid most of the money due during the progress of the work.