§ Mr. McAllionTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment what safeguards ensure that his Department418W or agencies do not engage firms as contractors that have been investigated for breaches of the law.
§ Miss WiddecombeEmployment Department contracts require contractors to take reasonable measures to ensure that their employees are not drawing benefit and are legal residents of the United Kingdom. A revised contract will allow termination of the contract if the contractor's behaviour is prejudicial to the Department's interests of reputation.
Previous records are taken into account, as is any substantiated evidence of illegal activities.
If it were discovered after the award of a contract that a contractor had been found guilty of an offence which had a material bearing on his ability to perform the contract, appropriate action would be taken.
§ Mr. McAllionTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the contractors who have been removed from the Department's approved list of contractors in the last year.
§ Miss WiddecombeContractors leave the supplier lists for many reasons, most of which have nothing to do with issues of propriety. Three suppliers were removed from the Department's approved suppliers list in the last year. The names of our suppliers are confidential.