§ Mr. MorganTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what consultations he has had with the director of the Highways Agency concerning the scrapping of the contractor self-certification system for quality assurance on(a) bridge steelwork and (b) other critical areas on civil engineering contracts. [28398]
§ Mr. Watts[holding answer 7 May 1996]: The agency does not recognise self-certification quality assurance, except where there is a requirement-provision in a European standard for self-certification, and requires that an element of second party quality control is implemented on contracts. The agency reserves the right to instigate second-third party quality control procedures on its contracts. There has been no discussion of action to scrap contractor self-certification quality assurance, but where a third party quality assurance scheme is introduced this will effectively supersede any self-certification that may exist in the area.