§ Dr. Kim HowellsTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will list any area within his Department that have been identified since 18 November(a) by individuals or organisations from the private sector or (b) otherwise as possibly suitable for market testing and contracting out; and what steps are being taken to prevent any non-governmental organisations successfully tendering to carry out work currently undertaken by civil servants facing a conflict of interest between the public interest requirement of this work and other commercial activities they are involved in or other clients they represent;
(2) if he will list the individuals or organisations from the private sector who have been involved since 18 November (a) in determining areas within his Department for market testing or contracting out or (b) who have advised him of areas that should be market tested or contracted out to market consultants, the total fees or other costs to date and the full costs likely to be charged.
§ Mr. HeseltineMy officials are currently drawing up proposals for new market testing areas within the Department in line with the timetable set out in the Financial Secretary's letter to the Home Secretary of 17 December. A market testing adviser from the private sector is to be appointed soon to assist in this task. The market testing areas are to be selected from the list of possible candidates set out on page 13 of the White Paper "Competing for Quality" (Cm 1730). My Department will carefully vet all non-government organisations involved in tendering for work currently undertaken by civil servants to ensure conflicts of interest do not arise.