Landing Platform Helicopter Vessel (Hansard, 26 May 1993)

§ Mr. Nicholas Brown
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if, during the bid for the contract to build the landing platform helicopter vessel, personnel from Kvaerner Govan participated in the bid clarification process.
626W

§ Mr. Aitken
No. Kvaerner Govan is a sub-contractor to VSEL.

§ Mr. Nicholas Brown
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if, in the course of consideration of the landing platform helicopter vessel, the VSEL bid has been comprehensively costed.

§ Mr. Aitken
The commercial aspects of both bids were assessed against our normal criteria for competitive contracts.

§ Mr. Nicholas Brown
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if, during consideration of the tender for the landing platform helicopter vessel, there was a thorough evaluation of the best and final tenders from VSEL/ Kvaerner Govan and Swan Hunter before a report was made to the Controller of the Royal Navy; and how much time was taken on this evaluation before the first report was made on the outcome of the tendering process.

§ Mr. Aitken
A thorough evaluation was conducted over the period November 1992 to March 1993 culminating in an examination of the best and final offers which were received from the two companies on 22 April. The evaluation was completed in time for me to make the announcement on 11 May.

§ Mr. Nicholas Brown
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what guidance was given to both Swan Hunter and VSEL/Kvaerner Govan during clarification, prior to the best and final offer round, on reduced standards which would be acceptable in the bid for the contract to build the landing platform helicopter vessel.

§ Mr. Aitken
Both tenderers were given the same advice on standards during the clarification process and the best and final offer response had to be fully compliant with these standards.

§ Mr. Nicholas Brown
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence in considering the tender for the landing platform helicopter vessel, what checks were carried out on the ability of Kvaerner Govan to produce subsystems and the final ship to naval engineering standards.

§ Mr. Aitken
My officials visited Kvaerner Govan to verify that it was capable of producing subsystems and a ship to the required standards.

§ Mr. Nicholas Brown
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence in considering the tender for the landing platform helicopter vessel, what checks his Department has carried out concerning the bid submitted by Kvaerner Govan to VSEL and the specification placed on Kvaerner Govan by VSEL.

§ Mr. Aitken
My Department's contract is with VSEL and requires it to ensure that the work meets the required specifications.

§ Mr. Nicholas Brown
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if the bids for the landing platform helicopter vessel tendered by both Swan Hunter and VSEL/Kvaerner Govan included comprehensive drawings and other elements required of a technical data package.

§ Mr. Aitken
Both tenderers provided the required technical disclosure.

§ Mr. Nicholas Brown
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what options from the first round bid for the 627W landing platform helicopter vessel were taken up from both VSEL/Kvaerner Govan and Swan Hunter in the best and final offer round.

§ Mr. Aitken
Costed options for certain equipments and facilities were taken up. The bids were compared on an equal basis.

§ Mr. Nicholas Brown
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if there was a significant price gap between the first bids submitted for the landing platform helicopter vessel last autumn from Swan Hunter and VSEL.

§ Mr. Aitken
Yes. Details of the bids are commercially confidential, but will be provided to the National Audit Office.

§ Mr. Nicholas Brown
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if, during consideration of the tender for the landing platform helicopter vessel, all elements of the tenders from VSEL/Kvaerner Govan and Swan Hunter were assessed for compliance with Ministry of Defence requirements; and if either bidder submitted a global undertaking of compliance;
(2) if the tenders from both VSEL/Kvaerner Govan and Swan Hunter for the landing platform helicopter vessel specifically state that pipework, machinery and electrical systems will be completed to the applicable naval engineering standards.

§ Mr. Aitken
Both bids were assessed for compliance and our contract with VSEL fully meets our requirements.

§ Mr. Nicholas Brown
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what further documentation is required from VSEL before a contract to build the landing platform helicopter vessel can be signed; and when his Department expects the contract to be signed.

§ Mr. Aitken
The contract was placed on 11 May 1993.

§ Mr. Nicholas Brown
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if the tenders from both VSEL/Kvaerner and Swan Hunter for the landing platform helicopter vessel included all the changes required by his Department as a result of the first bidding round; and if each tender included the additional requirements specified by his Department during the best and final offer.

§ Mr. Aitken
Both tenders offered a ship to meet the same requirements.

§ Mr. Nicholas Brown
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what are the anticipated costs of Royal Navy overseeing teams which will have to be located at Kvaerner Govan to ensure compliance during the building of the landing platform helicopter vessel.

§ Mr. Aitken
Resident naval overseers will be employed on this task, augmented as necessary. There will be no net increase in cost.