§ Mr. BlunkettTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) if she will list the companies that have been shortlisted to administer the voucher scheme; [39150]
(2) how many companies have submitted bids to run the voucher scheme; [39151]
(3) what estimates she has received from those companies shortlisted to administer the voucher scheme for the cost of administering the voucher scheme; [39152]
(4) when she expects to announce which company will be appointed to administer the a voucher scheme. [39153]
796W
Proposals under consideration for LEA Places proposed to be removed where known (a) Up to 3 months (b) 3–6 months (c) 6–9 months (d) 9–12 months (e) In excess of 12 months Avon — — — — — 2 Barnet — — 2 — — — Bexley — 2 — — — — Birmingham 210 1 — — — — Buckinghamshire — — 2 — — 2 Bury — — 1 — — — Cambridgeshire — 1 — — — — Cheshire 27 3 6 — — — Croydon — — — 1 — 1 Cumbria — 6 4 — — — Dorset — — 2 3 — — Dudley — 1 — — — — East Sussex 330 3 5 — — — Essex 217 3 2 — 1 1 Gloucestershire — — — — 1 — Greenwich — 1 — — — — Hammersmith and Fulham — — 1 — — — Hampshire 60 — 1 — — — Haringey — — — — 1 — Harrow — — 1 — 1 — Hertfordshire 350 3 6 2 — — Humberside — — 1 — — — Kent 103 7 5 — 1 6 Kirklees 160 1 — — — — Lancashire — — 1 3 2 1 Lincolnshire — — 1 1 — — Liverpool — 1 — — — — Newcastle 148 1 — — — — Norfolk 34 — 10 1 1 — Northamptonshire 19 4 — — — — Northumberland — — 1 — 1 1 North Yorkshire — 3 — — — 1 Nottinghamshire 578 — 5 — 2 — Oldham 218 — 1 — — —
§ Mr. Robin SquireOf the 170 companies which expressed an interest in administering the nursery voucher scheme, 10 were invited to tender for the contract. Details of the tenders, including the names of the companies and their proposed fees, are covered by commercial confidentiality. The company appointed to administer the scheme will be announced shortly.