§ Mr. KilfoyleTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessments urban development corporations are required to make of the competence of the companies to which they give grants.
§ Mr. BaldryUrban development corporations are required to assess the ability of companies to carry through the project concerned; their financial viability; and their track record in undertaking similar projects.
§ Mr. KilfoyleTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what guidelines are issued to board members of urban development corporations governing conflict of interest.
§ Mr. BaldryBoard members are issued with a code of conduct on appointment, which includes guidance on how to deal with conflicts of interest and what interests should be declared and recorded in the corporation's register of interests.
§ Mr. KilfoyleTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what rules or guidelines are applied to the tendering process of urban development corporations.
§ Mr. BaldryUrban development corporations are required to follow best public sector practice, which is that contracts should be placed on a competitive basis and the lowest tender accepted, subject only to certain clearly defined exceptions where this would not secure best value for money.
§ Mr. KilfoyleTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to review the operation of the Merseyside development corporation.
§ Mr. BaldryI refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Member for Hornchurch (Mr. Squire) to his previous question on Thursday 13 May 1993 at column529.
§ Mr. ByersTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how much each urban development corporation has spent, since its inception, on consultations.
§ Mr. Baldry[holding answer 5 July 1993]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 16 November 1992 at column 48. Updated expenditure on consultants' reports to 31 March 1993, where available, is in the table: 414W
UDC £ million Birmingham Heartlands 0.1 Black Country 12.9 Bristol 0.7 Central Manchester 2— Leeds 2— London Docklands 2— Merseyside 3.2 Plymouth Nil Sheffield 0.6 Teesside 4.9 Trafford Park 2— Tyne and Wear 4.0 1 To 31 March 1992. 2 Not available.