§ Mr. SpellarTo ask the Chairman of the Accommodation and Works Committee, pursuant to his answer of 23 October,Official Report, column 460, what percentage of existing contracts have gone to British firms; when he expects the award of the cladding contract to be announced; and how many (a) UK cladding firms and (b) other firms have been invited to tender for the cladding contract. [40682]
§ Mr. Ray PowellMany of the companies which are invited to tender for the new parliamentary building contracts are multi-national in either their ownership or their operations, or both. Consequently it is not possible to provide a precise answer about the use of "British firms".
495WOf the three major contracts let to date, two went to a British-based company. Numerous smaller contracts have been awarded for work which has been carried out almost entirely in the UK although the companies may not have been UK owned.
The tender list for the fenestration units reflected the fact that the cladding industry tends to be dominated by continental European companies. Initially, five companies were invited to tender at least two of which have a significant UK presence. Negotiations are still underway to determine which of the offers is the most competitive in terms of both time and cost. An announcement is not expected this year.