§ Mr. McLeishTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discretion has been give by him to health boards in Scotland on implementation of his circular on the contracting out of ancillary services.
§ Mr. Michael ForsythThe Scottish Home and Health Department's letter of 11 December set boards a specific programme of competitive tendering within a specified timetable. All boards are expected to carry that out.
§ Mr. McLeishTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will place in the Library a copy of the letter received from Fife health board in response to his circular on the contracting out of ancillary services.
§ Mr. Michael ForsythNo. Correspondence between the Scottish Home and Health Department and health boards is not normally made available to other parties.
§ Mr. McLeishTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the consultations held with each health board prior to the placing of the advertisement inThe Scotsman on behalf of the Scottish Health Service in which notice of information about tendering for in-house ancillary services for health boards was given.
§ Mr. Michael ForsythThe advertisement was placed by health boards acting jointly. No consultations by the Scottish Home and Health Department were involved.
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§ Mr. McLeishTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give details in theOfficial Report of any external, management, financial or marketing consultants advising him on privatisation or contracted-out programmes.
§ Mr. RifkindThe only firms of this nature currently advising me are the following. Their advice is being sought in connection with the privatisation of the electricity supply industry or of the Scottish Transport Group:
- Quayle Munro Ltd., Merchant Bankers.
- Barclays de Zoete Webb Ltd., Merchant Bankers.
- British Linen Bank Ltd., Merchant Bankers.
- Merz and McLellan, Consulting Engineers.
- Coopers and Lybrand, Chartered Accountants.
- McGrigor Donald, Solicitors.
§ Mr. McLeishTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give an estimate of the savings he envisages from the contracting out of ancillary services in each health board for 1988–89, 1989–90 and 1990–91.
§ Mr. Michael ForsythIt is impossible to predict accurately the level of savings likely to be achieved through competitive tendering. This will depend on the levels of bids submitted.
§ Mr. McLeishTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he next plans to meet the Scottish Trades Union Congress and Health Service unions to discuss the contracting out of health board ancillary services.
§ Mr. Michael ForsythI will be replying shortly to an invitation from the Scottish Trades Union Congress to meet to discuss a number of matters including competitive tendering for support services.
§ Mr. McLeishTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list in theOfficial Report the responses from Scottish health boards to his circular on the contracting out of ancillary services.
§ Mr. Michael ForsythI refer the hon. Member to my reply of 24 February, at column231, to the hon. Member for Kilmarnock and Loudon (Mr. McKelvey).
§ Mr. McLeishTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what action he will take against any health board refusing to contract out their ancillary services.
§ Mr. Michael ForsythThe question does not arise, since no board has declined to proceed with the programme of competitive tendering for certain ancillary services.
§ Mr. McLeishTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give the cost of placing the advertisement inThe Scotsman on behalf of the Scottish health service in which information about tendering for in-house ancillary services for health boards was given.
§ Mr. Michael ForsythThe cost of placing the advertisement inThe Scotsman was £277.
§ Mr. McLeishTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list in theOfficial Report the companies which have shown an interest in competing for ancillary service contracts.
§ Mr. Michael ForsythThis information is not available centrally.
§ Mr. Gordon BrownTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland on what basis his Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State responsible for health announced on Radio Scotland on 27 February that all Scottish health boards have agreed to invite tenders for in-house services.
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§ Mr. Michael ForsythAll health boards accept that they must implement the programme of competitive tendering on which my right hon. and learned Friend has decided.