§ Mr. Alex CarlileTo ask the President of the Board of Trade what systems are in place in(a) the Patent Office, (b) Companies House and (c) the Insolvency Service to compare costs of outside bidders with in-house services prior to any contractorisation; and if he will make a statement on the timetable and stages of contractorisation at each agency. [5836]
§ Mr. Lang[holding answer 18 December 1995]: The basis for assessing bids in each agency will be overall value for money, including both the cost and quality of service. On costs, any bids will be assessed against a benchmark of the cost of continuing in-house provision, taking into account any planned efficiencies.
On the timetables for each exercise: (a) Patent Office.
Contracting out is being considered for four areas of the Patent Office—the operation of London front office; accommodation and office services; marketing and information services and information technology services. The first two are in the early stages of competitive tender. If it is decided to award a contract, it is envisaged that contractors would begin work in the early summer of 1996. The other two areas are the subject of feasibility studies.
(b) The Insolvency Service: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for North Devon (Mr. Harvey) on 12 December 1995, Official Report, column 599.
1089W(c) Companies House: Tenders are currently being evaluated for the London and satellite offices in England, the Edinburgh office, and the central inquiry unit and postal search services and the cheque processing functions in Cardiff. If it is decided to award any contract, it is currently envisaged that contractors would be in place by April.
Tender invitations are due to be issued in January 1996 in relation to office services in Cardiff which covers typing, reception, and so on.
§ Mr. CarlileTo ask the President of the Board of Trade what consultations have taken place with staff and unions and(a) the Patent Office and (b) the Insolvency Service with particular reference to benchmarking. [5839]
§ Mr. Lang[holding answer 18 December 1995]: Regular meetings have been held with the agency trade unions and staff have also been briefed regularly regarding the progress of the contracting-out process in both agencies. The issue of benchmarks has been covered in discussions or in correspondence with trade unions. Suggestions for efficiency improvements from staff put forward to management and agreed in the normal way are incorporated in the benchmarks.
Table: Public opinion surveys commissioned by the DTI from December 1992 to December 1995 Survey Date Location Organisation Number of questionnaires Mountain bike study March 1994 United Kingdom Nottingham University Institutue for Occupational Ergonomics 1,490 Metrication survey April 1994 Great Britain RSGB Ltd. 2,000 Child usage of gas and electrical consumer products November 1993 GB Children's Research Unit 310 Renewable energy awareness September 1993 UK RSGB Ltd. 2,200 Citizen's band radio licence August 1995 UK Radiocommunications Agency 53,000 Wind turbine design research November 1995 GB Martin Hamblin Research 472 Potential for green electricity supply to UK domestic consumers January 1995 UK Ratcliffe Hall International 90 Insolvency Service user survey November 1994 England and Wales Price Waterhouse 545 Patent Office customer survey November 1994 UK DTI 465 Overseas trade services publicity study April 1994 UK Metra Martech 900 Attitudes towards the publications of the small firms division October 1993 UK BLM Research 130 Farmers and growers attitude to renewable energy opportunities August 1993 UK ADAS 8,180 1993 renewable energy awareness study—industrial and commercial sectors September 1993 GB BMRB 500