§ Mr. McAllionTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many staff in his Department are assigned to the market testing programme; how much the programme has cost his Department since November 1991; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. GoodladNeither the diplomatic wing of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office nor the Overseas Development Administration have staff assigned specifically to market testing. Since November 1991, however,680W market testing has accounted for a significant proportion of the time of some 25 diplomatic wing staff and 11 staff of the Overseas Development Administration. The cost, including direct staff costs, of the diplomatic wing's market testing programme up to 31 December 1992 was approximately £170,000; the cost of the Overseas Development Administration's programme was approximately £93,000.
§ Mr. McAllionTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list all the market tests that have taken place in his Department since November 1991; whether the result was the maintenance of in-house provision or whether the service was contracted out; what was the name of the successful contractor where appropriate; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. GoodladIn following up the requirements of the White Paper "Competing for Quality", Cm 1730, the diplomatic and ODA wings of the FCO each agreed a programme of market testing with the efficiency unit.
Market testing exercises for the implementation of this programme are in hand but none has yet been completed.