HC Deb 19 April 1996 vol 275 cc623-4W
Mr. Byers

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 16 April,Official Report, column 365, if he will list the other organisations that were invited to tender for the contract to advise on the competences required for probation officers on appointment; who was responsible for awarding the contract to KPMG; which civil servants were involved in the evaluation of the tenders; and if the contract was awarded to the lowest cost tender. [25908]

Mr. Sackville

The following firms were invited to tender for the probation officers' competences contract: Gaby Braun; Christie Associates; Shirley Fletcher Associates; KPMG; Prime Research; and Glenda Taylor Associates.

Staff for the probation training unit in the then C6 division of the Home Office evaluated the tenders received. The head of the unit, with the agreement of the head of the division, authorised the award of the contract of KPMG, which submitted the lowest cost tender.