Market Testing (Hansard, 1 July 1992)

§ Dr. Marek
To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if she will give a date when she will announce the areas of work in her Department to be market tested; and whether all relevant information will be made publicly available.

§ Mr. McLoughlin
As promised in the White Paper, "Competing for Quality", departmental targets for market testing in 1992–93 will be announced later this year.

§ Dr. Marek
To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what has been the total cost so far of the market-testing initiative in her Department since November 1991.

§ Mr. Michael Forsyth
I am unable to provide full-cost information.

§ Dr. Marek
To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what estimate she has made of savings in her Department as a result of the market-testing programme.

§ Mr. Michael Forsyth
No such estimate has been made. The aim of market testing is to provide a better service to the customer as well as better value for money. We cannot predict in advance what the effect of the future market testing programme will be on the quality of service and costs, but we shall be looking for improvements in both.