§ Mr. Franksasked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) how many local authorities have put all or any of their services out to the private sector; how many have selected outside firms to operate work undertaken by former direct labour organisations as opposed to giving in-house organisations the work; and how many have put more than one service into the private sector;
(2) further to the reply to the hon. Member for Barrow and Furness, 29 January, Official Report, column 513, if 189W he will publish in the Official Report that information on costs which he has estimated to accrue from the amount of work going to contractors from local authorities which put contracts out to competitive tender.
§ Mrs. RumboldThis information is not collected by the Department of the Environment. The manpower costs in eliciting the information requested would be prohibitive. I can do no better than refer my hon. Friend to my earlier reply on 18 February, at columns 112–13.