§ Mrs. HodgeTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) for each piece of work subject to a bidding process under the auspices of(a) his Ministry and (b) agencies for which his Ministry is responsible (i) where work was contracted out who the successful bidders were and (ii) which contracts were won by in-house bidders in (1) 1993–94, (2) 1994–95 and (3) 1995–96; [25549]
(2) what work has been contracted out (a) by his Department and (b) by agencies for which his Department is responsible in (i) 1993–94 and (ii) 1994–95; and what is projected for 1995–96. [25547]
§ Mr. WaldegraveMy Department seeks to conduct its bidding processes in accordance with the consolidated guidelines for public purchasing policy laid down in chapter 31 of "Government Accounting". For the financial years 1993–94, 1994–95 and 1995–96 the information requested is as follows for the Ministry's market testing programme:
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1993–94 Successful bidders (a) Contracted-out work Library Services (Books and Journals) Dawson UK Swets UK Hammicks Blackwell National History Book Service Dillons Eastlake Information General Recruitment (up to G7) MSL Advertising PA Consulting Austin Knight Research and Development (Part) Whitbread Plc. Paterson Institute: Christie Hospital NHS Animal Health Trust A. E. Johnston
1993–94 Successful bidders Processors' and Growers' Research Organisation UMDS—Guys Hospital PE International Ashbourne Bio Sciences Cambridge Environmental Research Consultants RPS Clouston Land Research Associates W. S. Atkins Mylnefield Research Services Ltd. Fisheries Protection: Surface Surveillance Royal Navy Radionuclide Analysis National Radiological Protection Board (b) Work won by in-house bidders Free Pollution Advice to Farmers Agricultural Development and Advisory Service
1994–95 Successful bidders (a) Contracted-out work Inter-Despatch Service (IDS) Security Facilities Executive Term Commissions for Architectural and Engineering Design Services Jefferson Sheard Rogers and Grundy Ferguson Bucknall Austin Lawrence Hewitt Partnership Payroll and Associated Services Chessington Computer Centre Agronomic Evaluation of Set-Aside Institute of Terrestrial Ecology (with British Trust for Ornithology and ADAS as sub-contractors) Information Technology Outsourcing: MVS Data Sciences (a) Work won by in-house bidders In the 1994–95 market testing programme no contracts were won by in-house bidders in the Ministry. 1995–96
To date no contracts have been awarded to either in-house bidders or external contractors in connection with the Ministry's market testing programme. It is not possible to predict in advance of recommendations following competition or efficiency review which services or functions will be contracted out.Agency chief executives will reply separately to the hon. Member.
Letter from J. M. Walsh to Ms Margaret Hodge, dated 25 May 1995:
315WThe Minister of Agriculture has asked me to reply direct to you in answer to your Parliamentary Question number 1291. In this you asked for information on what work has been contracted out in (i) 1993–94 and (ii) 1994–95; and what is projected for 1995–96.ADAS was established as an Executive Agency in June 1992 and is jointly owned by MAFF and the Welsh Office.ADAS operates as a commercial consultancy within the food, farming, land and leisure sectors. In-house facilities may not always be able to support the work of the Agency. In such cases additional support is sourced from outside the organisation. Typically, work in such areas as information technology, training, collaborative research, payroll and banking services, property and facilities management, document and promotional media creation and vehicle hire may be contracted out.Letter from G. K. Bruce to Ms Margaret Hodge, dated 8 June 1995:
The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has asked me to reply, in respect of the Pesticides Safety Directorate (PSD), to your questions about the contracting out of work and the bidding process which is employed.The Directorate has so far contracted out work on the evaluation of pesticides, IT consultancy and publications. The amount of work contracted out totalled £170,469 in 1993/94 and £89,572 in 1994/95. In 1995/96 the Directorate is likely to contract out approximately £150,000 worth of work.The number of pieces of work subject to a bidding process was four in 1993/94 and four in 1994/95. The successful bidders over the two years were:
- The Natural History Museum
- Campden Food and Drink Research Association
- ADAS
- Central Science Laboratory
- Severn Trent Laboratories
- Desbrow, Thompson, Chaffe
All of these contracts were awarded to organisations outside PSD. It is anticipated that for 1995/96 the number of pieces of work which may be subject to a bidding process will be broadly similar to previous years.Letter from P. I. Stanley to Ms Margaret Hodge, dated 27 May 1995:
WORK SUBJECT TO A BIDDING PROCESS AND CONTRACTED OUT BY MAFF AND ITS AGENCIESThe Central Science Laboratory (CSL) was first launched as an executive agency of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAFF) in April 1992 and was re-launched as an enlarged agency two years later following its merger with the MAFF Food Science Laboratories.CSL is currently located on five main sites in Berkshire, Hertfordshire, Surrey, Norfolk and Aberdeenshire with several smaller outstations throughout England. It is planned in the summer of 1996 to collocate the major part of CSL to a single site in Yorkshire where a new, purpose-built laboratory is at present under construction. CSL's market testing and contracting out strategy has been aimed at reviewing the wide range of services in connection with ensuring efficient and effective operation of the new laboratory at York.You have asked two questions relating to the financial years 1993/94, 1994/95 and 1995/96; firstly about work that has been subject to a bidding process and secondly about work that has been contracted out. I can confirm that in 1993/94 and 1994/95 none of CSL's work was subject to a bidding process or contracted out. However, during the 1995/96 financial year, many support services including facilities management, security, catering, estate management, waste disposal, management of the day-care centre and fitness facilities and other services for the new laboratory at York will be subject to market testing and contracting out.Letter from Guy Stapleton to Ms Margaret Hodge, dated 27 May 1995:
The Minister of Agriculture Fisheries and Food has asked me to reply for the Intervention Board to your Question about the outcome of market tests since 1993–94, as the matter is one within my operational responsibility.Contracts were awarded as follows:1993–94
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- Messengerial services, post-room services, word processing, reprographics and switchboard—in house team
- Maintenance of Government-owned grain stores—Henry Boot Ltd
- Analysis of olive oil—Agricultural Development & Advisory Service
- Analysis of exported products—Campden & Chorleywood Food Research Association
- Internal audit services, Newcastle—in house team
- Analysis of livestock products—Agricultural Development & Advisory Service
1994–95
- Document handling & security services Newcastle—in house team
- Analysis of crops products—RHM Technology Ltd
1995–96
None to date.Letter from Guy Stampleton to Ms Margaret Hodge, dated 27 May 1995:
The Minister of Agriculture Fisheries and Food has asked me to reply for the Intervention Board to your Question about work contracted out since 1993–94, as the matter is one within my operational responsibility.New work strategically contracted out without an in-house bid:Contracts awarded
1993–94
- Maintenance of Government owned grain stores
- Supervision of intake of cereals into store
- Analysis of sugar
- Analysis of exported products
- Analysis of olive oil
- Analysis of livestock products
1994–95
- Travel services
- Banking
- Accounting systems development
- Analysis of crops products
Contracts projected1
1995–96
- Recruitment
- Certification of accounts
1 Strategic contracting out only. The outcome of market tests cannot be anticipated.
Letter from J. M. Rutter to Ms Margaret Hodge, dated 23 May 1995:
The Minister has asked me to reply to your question about work which has been contracted out by the Veterinary Medicines Directorate, as this is an operational matter for which I am responsible.Other than the work subject to a bidding process, about which I have written to you separately today in response to your specific Parliamentary Question, no other work has been contracted out by the Directorate in either 1993/94 or 1994/95, and none is projected for 1995/96.Letter from J. M. Rutter to Ms Margaret Hodge, dated 23 May 1995:
The Minister has asked me to reply to your question about the outcome of work subjected to a bidding process by the Veterinary Medicines Directorate, as this is an operational matter for which I am responsible.In 1993–94, a contract for general office cleaning of the Directorate was awarded to Quality Assured Services. No contracts were awarded in 1994–95. but on 1 April 1995, a contract was awarded to the Analytical Chemistry Unit of the Central Veterinary Laboratory for the provision of analytical services required under the National Surveillance Scheme for residues in meat.No in house bidders were involved in either of these contracts.Letter from J. M. Walsh to Ms Margaret Hodge, dated 25 May 1995:
317WThe Minister of Agriculture has asked me to reply direct to you in answer to your Parliamentary Question number 1286. In this you asked for information on the work subject to a bidding process, where work was contracted out, who the successful bidders were and ii) which contracts were won by in-house 1) 1993–94 and 2) 1994–95 and 3) 1995–96.ADAS was established as an Agency in June 1992 under the joint ownership of MAFF and the Welsh Office. As an Agency, ADAS is not involved in market testing except where it bids for work from other Government Departments.In respect of work (which has been interpreted as meaning the provision of works and services as distinct from goods and utilities) ADAS has the policy of subjecting to the bidding process a wide range of services. Thus far these include, collaborative research, consultancy, payroll and banking services, elements of laboratory analysis, areas of IT and telecommunications, and staff training.
Some of the above have been contracted out to independent third party contractors throughout the period. Unfortunately, to provide greater detail would be disproportionate cost to this Agency.