§ Mr. ColvinTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the advantages of(a) leasing and (b) using the private finance initiative in relation to the supply of self-loading dump trucks for the Royal Engineers as set out in tender No. EM and D1A/155 of the MOD "Contract Bulletin" volume 10 No. 16. [30785]
243W
§ Mr. ArbuthnotSelf-loading dump trucks to meet the specific military requirement of the Royal Engineers are not currently available for lease on the commercial market. No assessment was made of the advantages of using the private finance initiative for this specific requirement.
A study commissioned by the Procurement Executive is currently under way to examine the potential for greater private sector/private finance involvement in the management and supply for future requirements of this type. The study will not be complete in time to influence this procurement because the existing fleet has reached the end of its economic life and requires replacement now. Recommendations of the study will be carefully considered for future requirements.