HC Deb 04 February 1993 vol 218 cc283-4W
Ms. Ruddock

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will make a statement on the application of the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 1981 to the contracting out of the warehousing and distributing function of the supply and transport branch of his Department;

(2) how many staff employed in the warehousing and distributing function of the supply and transport branch of his Department have been issued with redundancy notices; and if he plans to withdraw these notices.

Mr. Kenneth Clarke

The prison service warehousing and distribution activities were market tested in 1991. Competitive bids were received from four private sector companies and there was an in-house bid. In July 1992 the contract was awarded to a private contractor subject to consultation with the trade unions and negotiation of a satisfactory contract.

All of the 141 staff employed in the warehousing and distribution function planned for contracting out were issued with redundancy notices in September 1992. There are currently no plans to withdraw these notices.

At the market testing stage it was not thought that the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations (TUPE) had implications for this market testing exercise, but advice received subsequently is that the regulations would apply. The implications of this advice are now being considered.