§ Mr. WilsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what was the estimated net saving to his Department as a result of contracting out the back-record conversion of criminal record microfiche data; and how many records were involved;
(2) whether an in-house bid was invited for the task of the back-record conversion of criminal record microfiche data;
(3) whether the back record conversion of criminal record microfiche data has been completed; and to what company the task was contracted out.
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonConversion of the Scottish collection of criminal records to the computerised record system now operated as a common police service at the Scottish Criminal Record Office was not the subject of a competitive tendering exercise. The task, completed in 1985, was carried out at Dunfermline police station by Scottish police officers and civilian support staff recruited by Fife regional council. Some 420,000 Scottish criminal records including some microfiche data were converted.