§ Mr. McNamaraTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment 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. [29429]
§ Miss WiddecombeUnder the Government's "Competing for Quality" programme for 1992–94, the following activities within the Employment Department group were contracted out without an in-house bid:
Employment department
- The Field System
- Training and Enterprise Council National Providers Unit
Employment service
- Travel services
- Forms supply/distribution
- Employment rehabilitation courses
- Financial management training
- Field staff training (First aid)
- Building maintenance and new works
Health and safety executive
- Graphics services
- Estates management
- Distribution of publications
- Field support (Norwich)
For 1994–95, the following activities are due to be contracted out without an in-house bid:
Employment department
- Staff development (support services)
Employment service
- Warehousing
Health and safety executive
286W
- Scientific management and on-site sampling and analysis
- Analysis of chemical substances
- Accident coding
- Staff training
- Advice helpline
- Dosimetry services
The decision to contract out without an in-house bid was taken in each case in the light of a range of considerations. Information about the extent to which the availability of in-house expertise was a relevant factor in each case could be provided only at disproportionate cost.