§ Mrs. DunwoodyTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he would accept a bid, either from the in-house team or the private sector, which would mean that the booking of driving tests for Wales would no longer be undertaken in a Welsh location;
(2) if he would accept a bid, either from the in-house team or the private sector, which would mean that the booking of driving tests for Scotland would no longer be undertaken in a Scottish location.
§ Mr. Key"The Government's Guide to Market Testing" makes it clear that restrictions which limit contractors' abilities to give the best value for money should not be included in market tests other than for operational reasons. Moreover, geographical constraints on the supply of goods and services are not, in general, permitted under EC competition law. The conduct of driving tests and the location of driving examiners in Wales and Scotland will not be affected by the market test. The requirement to continue to provide the present Welsh language service is to be included in the invitation to tender for the driver test booking service.