§ Mr. GeorgeTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the number of private security firms currently employed by his Department, the number of employees for each firm on the contract, the total value of each contract and the total value of all contracts for each financial year since 1984–85.
§ Dr. MawhinneyThe Northern Ireland Office does not employ private security firms but Northern Ireland Departments currently employ a total of seven such firms on guarding contracts. It would not be in the interests of security to release the names of the firms and details of each contract are subject to commercial confidence. The current value of contracts, which are usually for a two-year period, is, however, £3,284,659. The firms concerned at present employ some 200 security guards. For the total value of all contracts for each financial year from 1984–85 to 1989–90 I refer the hon. Member to the reply he was given on 5 April 1990 at column755. The total value of contracts for 1990–91 is £1,644,140.