HC Deb 21 June 1995 vol 262 cc270-1W
Mr. McNamara

To ask the Prime Minister if he will list those parts of his Department or departmental agencies which were privatised without an in-house bid taking place; which future parts of his Department or departmental agencies he intends to privatise; and which of them do not have the necessary in-house expertise to mount an in-house bid. [29413]

The Prime Minister

For this purpose, my Department is part of the Cabinet Office. I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary, Office of Public Service and Science on 20 June,Official Report, column 220.

Mr. McNamara

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will list those parts of his Department or departmental agencies which were privatised without an in-house bid; if he will indicate the expertise which was absent in his Department or departmental agencies which prevented an in-house bid taking place; which future parts of his Department or departmental agencies he intends to privatise; and which of them do not have the necessary in-house expertise to mount an in-house bid. [29422]

Mr. Horam

Those parts of the work of the Cabinet Office—OPSS—its agencies, HMSO and COI which have been contracted-out without an in-house bid are as follows:

Central OPSS

  • Consortium Reports
  • Publishing and print Procurement Service

CCTA

  • GTN (Long-Distance)
  • Chessington
  • UNISON (Phase 1)

CS College

  • Prospectus Distribution

RAS

  • Catering Services
  • Cleaning Services
  • IT Hardware Maintenance
  • IT Software Support Services

HMSO

  • Print Order Processing System
  • Software Development: Business Supplies
  • Software Development: Finance

COI

  • Videotext Unit

The Cabinet Office, its agencies, HMSO and COI have contracted-out activities without inviting in-house bids where it has been judged that the private sector is clearly better equipped to deliver a specific service, has a better understanding of market needs, or the capacity to invest in new technology. Other decisions to contract-out services without inviting in-house bids have been taken where an activity is relatively small and peripheral to the Department's functions.

There are no current plans to contract-out any activities within the Cabinet Office, its agencies, HMSO and COI without inviting an in-house bid.

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