§ Mr. FormanTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to publish the annual report for 1994 on compulsory competitive tendering in local authorities. [17202]
§ Mr. Robert B. JonesMy Department has published today the "CCT and Local Government in England Annual Report" for 1994. It describes the achievements of 1994, both on the work extending CCT to new services and in promoting and enforcing fair competition for the608W existing services. The report also describes two major research studies which have been published in the last year.
Copies of the report will be sent to all local authorities in England, and to the main trade associations and others involved with CCT. Copies have also been placed in the House Library.
During the last year CCT has been extended to further manual services, as well as to certain local authority professional services. Housing management, legal services, construction and property services, on-street parking, vehicle fleet management and security services have been added to the statute. These followed extensive consultation with the local authority associations, and representatives from the professional and trade organisations.
My Department had to investigate over 100 allegations that local authorities had acted anti-competitively when tendering services. The majority were resolved without statutory action, but in nine cases directions were given; most required the local authority to re-tender the work. My right hon. Friend also gave 39 directions where activities had failed to meet the specified financial objective; four of these prevented the local authority from carrying out the work in-house.