§ Mr. Frank FieldTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment for what reason the final regulations laying down the compulsory competitive tendering by local authorities for security services have not yet been published; and what advice he gives to local authorities in the interim. [31136]
§ Mr. Robert B. JonesI explained to the House on the 2 November,Official Report, column 1608–609, that we intend to exclude from security work CCT work entailing the enforcement of byelaws which cannot be undertaken by private contractor staff. It is important to get the scope of the exemption right, and to that end we have consulted the local authority associations in framing a suitable draft. We intend to lay the order shortly.
Local authorities have been aware of our intention to bring forward an exemption since guidance was published last December, over a year in advance of the contract start date for security work CCT of 1 January 1996. Authorities ought therefore to have been preparing, and to continue to prepare, for CCT on that basis.