HC Deb 29 March 1996 vol 274 cc779-80W
Mr. Donohoe

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidelines are currently in force in his Department and its executive agencies relating to competitive tendering and the use of single negotiated tenders; on what grounds single negotiated tenders can be used; and what procedures are in place within his Department to ensure that the use of single negotiated tenders in competitive tendering processes is justified in all cases. [22852]

Mr. Horam

The Government's public purchasing policy consolidated guidelines require goods and services to be acquired by competition unless there are convincing reasons to the contrary. In addition, the EU procurement directives and the World Trade Organisation Government procurement agreement require most contracts above specified thresholds to be awarded following competition, subject to certain specified exceptions. The central unit on procurement's guidance note No. 40 provides an overview of best practice in the competitive tendering process.

Two internal publications within the Department of Health, the "Purchasing and Supply Manual" and "Guidance Notes on the use of Management Consultants", provide guidance to staff in the Department and its executive agencies on the whole range of procurement matters.

Single negotiated tenders are permissable only where: (i) when the work is an extension of a recently completed project and it can be clearly demonstrated that the value

Mr. Malone

The information requested is listed below:

of staying with the same supplier outweighs any possibility of reduced costs that would occur from competitive tendering—further work must be shown to be essential to complete the project; (ii) the expertise is not available from any other source; (iii) unforeseeable circumstances that require extreme urgency of action. A trained purchaser must be involved if the contract value exceeds £50,000.

Mr. Donohoe

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many contracts for goods or services have been awarded by his Department and its executive agencies on the basis of single negotiated contracts in each of the last three years; if he will list the companies involved and the value of the contract in each case; what percentage this represented of contracts awarded by his Department and its agencies after competitive tendering; and, in each case, why the contracts were awarded on the basis of a single negotiated tender. [22867]

Mr. Horam

This information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.