§ Mr. Malcolm BruceTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he has taken to ensure that, when putting contracts out to tender, his Department includes the tender list companies which have acquired the BS5750 quality assurance standard.
§ Mr. AitkenMy Department maintains a list of companies interested in bidding for defence contracts, annotated to show which have achieved the BS5750 quality assurance standard. When seeking tenders for work which merits formal quality assurance procedures, we174W ensure that only qualified companies are invited to bid. The MOD Contracts Bulletin, which is published fortnightly, makes it clear that certification will normally be required. Since 1 September 1993 the Department has had a policy of "No Acceptable Certification—No Contract", and compliance with this policy is monitored.