HC Deb 05 February 1996 vol 271 cc90-2W
Mr. Welsh

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his answer of 22 January,Official Report, column 94, if he will list those agencies or companies which submitted tenders for (a) the trial media monitoring service and (b) the long-term media monitoring service. [12740]

Mr. Michael Forsyth

[holding answer 30 January 1996]: Tenders have been invited for a press cuttings service. This service is the identification, selection and compilation of any articles in daily or Sunday newspapers on matters for which the Scottish Office is responsible. It is not possible to identify those press cuttings agencies which have either provided this service on a trial basis or submitted tenders, as this information is classed as restricted-commercial.

Mr. Welsh

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his answer of 22 January,Official Report, column 94, if he will list the independent press cuttings agencies which have been providing a trail media monitoring service to the Scottish Office since October 1995; and what has been the cost to date of such expenditure, including the tender process. [12739]

Mr. Forsyth

[holding answer 30 January 1996]: This information is classed as restricted-commercial.

Mr. Welsh

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his answer of 22 January,Official Report, column 94, to whom the companies and agencies engaged in media monitoring activities will be directly responsible on a daily basis; and if he will make a statement. [12771]

Mr. Forsyth

[holding answer 30 January 1996]: The company which wins the contract will, like the company at present providing the service on a trial basis, be responsible on a daily basis to the head of the secretariat in the information directorate of the Scottish Office.

Mr. Welsh

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his answer of 22 January,Official Report, column 94, on what dates he invited the tenders for the media monitoring service on (a) a trial and (b) long-term basis; and what form the invitations took. [12741]

Mr. Forsyth

[holding answer 30 January 1996]: Tenders for providing the press cuttings service for a period of three years—with the possibility of an extension to five years—were issued on 8 December 1995 and are in accordance with standard invitation to tender documents used by the Scottish Office.

Mr. Welsh

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his answer of 22 January,Official Report, column 94, what guidance was given to the press cuttings agencies which have been providing a media monitoring service since October 1995 to ensure that the media monitoring activities were limited to coverage of official Scottish Office activities. [12769]

Mr. Forsyth

[holding answer 30 January 1996]: I understand that the agencies which have provided a press cuttings service on a trial basis were asked in writing to select only articles on matters for which the Scottish Office is responsible.

Mr. Welsh

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his answer of 22 January,Official Report, column 94, if he will make a statement on the criteria to be used in selecting the companies or agencies, during the current tender exercise, to provide the media monitoring service to the Scottish Office. [12743]

Mr. Forsyth

[holding answer 30 January 1996]: The criteria will be the price, the delivery of the service, the quality of the service, experience of similar contracts and customer service.

Mr. Welsh

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his answer of 22 January,Official Report, column 94, if he will make a statement on the criteria which were used in selecting the press cutting agencies to provide the trial media monitoring service to the Scottish Office. [12742]

Mr. Forsyth

[holding answer 30 January 1996]: I understand that both companies approached the Scottish Office offering to provide a press cuttings service. It was decided to offer both companies a trial period to evaluate the quality of their service against that of the in-house one and to ensure value for money.

Mr. Welsh

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his answer of 22 January,Official Report, columns 94, what conventions or guidelines apply to outside agencies or companies engaged in media monitoring activities on behalf of the Scottish Office; and if he will make a statement. [12770]

Mr. Forsyth

[holding answer 30 January 1996]: When the contract is awarded, the successful company will provide the press cuttings service in accordance with the tender specification and will comply with Scottish Office terms and conditions of contract.

Mr. Welsh

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his answer of 22 January,Official Report, column 94, if he will publish the remit which was given to the press cuttings agencies which have been providing a media monitoring service since October 1995. [12744]

Mr. Forsyth

[holding answer 30 January 1996]: The companies have been asked to provide cuttings from daily and Sunday newspapers on articles on matters for which the Scottish Office is responsible and to deliver the cuttings to St. Andrew's house, Edinburgh or Dover house, London by specified times.