§ Mr. Campbell-SavoursTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether the Crown Suppliers continue to comply with established public procurement procedures and relevant EEC/GATT regulations.
§ Mr. Campbell-SavoursTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many tenders the Crown Suppliers competed for in the past year; what was their estimated value; and how many it won.
§ Mr. Chope[holding answer 4 May 1989]: Information relating to tender bids by the Crown Suppliers is commercial in confidence.
§ Mr. Campbell-SavoursTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what amount of public money has so far been paid out to the management buy-out teams in the Crown Suppliers in order to help finance their bids; what is the specific uses for which the money has been claimed; and what is the maximum amount of subsidy he is prepared to pay to each team.
§ Mr. Chope[holding answer 4 May 1989]: We have agreed to help the management buy-out teams with the fees paid to their professional advisers, so that they are not at a disadvantage when compared with outside bidders. The contribution formulae provide for repayment if a team's bid is successful, a maximum Government contribution of £132,000 for the team which is interested in the whole business and of £36,000 for the team interested only in the transport operations. Each team is expected to make a substantial contribution to their own fees. Payment of £700 has been authorised to date.