HC Deb 24 July 1996 vol 282 cc517-8W
Ms Eagle

To ask the Secretary of State for Health on what date the Memphis project was submitted for Treasury approval; on what date such approval was granted; and on what date the project commenced and at what estimated cost. [39817]

Mr. Horam

The Memphis project commenced in 1994 and was completed in August 1995. The cost was within departmental delegated limits. Treasury approval was therefore unnecessary.

Ms Eagle

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the cost of the Track software and acquired for the Memphis project from the Intelligent Office Company Ltd. of Hammersmith; and if he will give details of the competitive tendering procedure used in the acquisition of the Track software for the Memphis project. [39800]

Mr. Horam

The cost of the software is subject to commercial confidentiality. It was procured from a company through one of the Department's EC/GATT contracts.

Ms Eagle

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what arrangements were made to advertise the Memphis project in the contract supplement of the Official Journal of the EU. [39816]

Mr. Horam

The Department has framework agreements with a number of companies covering various categories of information technology work, which were awarded after an EC/GATT procurement. The contracts for Memphis were awarded following competitions between companies with framework agreements in appropriate categories.

Ms Eagle

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what independent evaluation there has been of the expected benefits of the Memphis project as to volume, standard and time scale. [39814]

Mr. Horam

These topics are covered in post-implementation reviews, which are carried out at the end of major information technology projects. They are conducted by independent companies drawn from those with which the Department has framework agreements. A PIR was carried out at the end of the Memphis project.