HC Deb 15 May 1985 vol 79 cc130-1W
Mr. Maude

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what new arrangements have been introduced in the Property Services Agency for the central monitoring of value for money;

(2) when the three-tier system of management of the United Kingdom territorial organisation of the Property Services Agency will be replaced by a two-tier system as recommended by the Comptroller and Auditor General;

(3) whether the Property Services Agency has yet prepared its remedial plan of action, including timetables, in response to the Comptroller and Auditor General's report and the 30th report of the Public Accounts Committee on the Property Services Agency;

(4) when he expects the Property Services Agency's analysis of the results of management review techniques for assessment of maintenance performance to be published;

(5) when he expects the Property Services Agency's guidelines for standard criteria for determining maintenance priorities to be published;

(6) whether he is satisfied that the Property Services Agency's basic records are complete;

(7) whether the Property Services Agency has now completed its uniform arrangements for the central monitoring of value for money in line with its statement to the Public Accounts Committee;

(8) whether any new arrangements for the central monitoring of value for money in the Property Services Agency have been introduced since 1 April.

Sir George Young

My hon. Friend's questions relate to recommendations in the 30th report of the Committee of Public Accounts on the Property Services Agency's building maintenance expenditure published in July 1984.

The PAC has subsequently taken evidence from the PSA about progress in implementing its recommendations, and, as part of this, a written memorandum was supplied to the Committee earlier this year, which included a copy of the PSA's action plan on building maintenance. The Committee will be publishing in due course its conclusions and the evidence taken from the PSA. Since the latter will cover not only my hon. Friend's questions but the maintenance issues raised in the original report by the Comptroller and Auditor General and the 1984 PAC report, I hope that he will be prepared to wait until it is available.

Mr. Maude

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many contractors have been removed, permanently or temporarily, from the approved list of Property Services Agency contractors since August 1983 for reasons other than their conviction for a criminal offence.

Sir George Young

Thirty nine. Two of these firms have subsequently been re-admitted to the approved list following the completion of a 12-month period of suspension.

Mr. Maude

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many contractors on the approved list of contractors have been found to have overcharged the Property Services Agency during the last financial year.

Sir George Young

Ten.

Mr. Maude

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will name those contractors who have been found to have overcharged the Property Services Agency since August 1983 but who have been retained on the Property Services Agency list of approved contractors.

Sir George Young

Since August 1983, 16 firms on the agency's approved list have been found to have overcharged the Property Services Agency. Eight of these firms are still banned from receiving further work from the PSA and two have recently been reinstated to the approved list. The circumstances of the other six cases did not justify removal from the approved list. For legal and commercial reasons, I am not prepared to name the firms concerned.

Mr. Maude

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many nominated quantity surveyors have been dismissed by the Property Services Agency since August 1983.

Sir George Young

Since August 1983, 19 firms providing nominated quantity surveying services have been banned from receiving further Property Services Agency work, mainly because of poor performance. The bans cover periods ranging from one to five years. Nine of the firms have since been reinstated.

Mr. Maude

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the present total estimated value of unpriced work for measured term contracts in the Property Services Agency up to the present date.

Sir George Young

On 31 March 1985 the value of completed work awaiting the clearance of final accounts was £115 million.