HC Deb 21 May 1996 vol 278 cc137-40W
Mr. Harvey

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the areas under consideration for contracting out in the Radiocommunications Agency indicating the number of staff involved and the proposed time-scale involved; and if he will make a statement. [29376]

Mr. Ian Taylor

The Radiocommunications Agency and its predecessors has an excellent record for contracting out services. Licensing which does not involve frequency assignment has been contracted out; in other areas they have encouraged self management by industry groups wherever possible where this improves customer service. It is agency policy to review continuously all licensing activities to identify any potential candidates for future action. The support services of the agency were all contracted out on relocation to new headquarters in London's docklands last October.

The Radiocommunications Agency is also currently completing its prior options review, which is examining, among other things, the scope for any further contracting out across the agency. Ministers announced the outcome of the review of the customer services branch on 31 October 1995. It is anticipated that the review of the remainder of the agency will be completed within the next few months.

Mr. Harvey

To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) if he will list the terms of reference for the proposed strategic partnership between the Radiocommunications Agency information technology service and the private sector; how many staff are involved; and what are the estimated costs; [29378]

(2) if he will list (a) those parties which responded to the advertisement in the EC Journal with regard to the strategic partnership between the Radiocommunications Agency information technology service and the private sector, (b) the date for proposed tendering, (c) the mechanisms for union involvement in the consultation process and (d) the number of union representatives to sit on the bids evaluation panel; and if he will make a statement; [29380]

(3) when a new contractor will be selected to complete refurbishment of New Kings Beam house; if he will make a statement on the process for evaluating new bids and the criteria for selecting a new contractor; who will sit on the evaluation panel; if unions will be permitted to participate in the selection process; and if he will make a statement; [29382]

(4) how many consultants have been employed in the Radiocommunications Agency to date; at what cost; and if he will make a statement; [29377]

(5) if he will make a statement on the procedures employed by his Department to monitor outfitting and refurbishment work in New Kings Beam house prior to the contractor going into receivership; what is the cost of unfinished work; and if he will make a statement; [29381]

(6) if he will make a statement on the future location of staff in the Radiocommunications Agency. [29379]

Mr. Ian Taylor

Responsibility for these matters has been delegated to the chief executive of the Radiocommunications Agency. I have asked him to arrange for replies to be given.

Letter from Jim Norton to Mr. Nick Harvey, dated 21 May 1996:

As promised in Mr Taylor's response to your Parliamentary Question No. 97/2277 I am writing to you to provide the information you requested about our procurement of an IT Strategic Partner.

  1. (a) The Agency is using EC Services Directive negotiated procedures to recruit an IT Strategic Partner from the private sector. The detailed terms of reference for the partnership will be agreed later this year in negotiations with the short listed companies. It is the Agency's intention to acquire a partner who can work with the Agency to provide a broad range of information technology services which fully meet the Agency's business needs and provide value for money. It also sees opportunities for the partnership to exploit the Agency's expertise in spectrum management in international markets, benefiting the UK industrial and diplomatic interests, subject to ministerial approval.
  2. (b) Some 45 Agency staff are currently directly involved in IT. We have made clear to all staff that, subject to discussion with line management, they will be able to apply for redeployment work in the Agency's Intelligent Customer Function, to apply for other work within the Agency or to transfer to the chosen 'Strategic Partner'.
  3. (c) It is estimated that the external cost of setting up the Partnership will be some £300k, for the use of CCTA consultancy, and that the annual value of the contract will be some £2.5m to £3m over 7 to 10 years.

Letter from Jim Norton to Mr. Nick Harvey, dated 21 May 1996:

As promised in Mr Taylor's response to your Parliamentary Question No. 95/2279 I am writing to you to provide the information you requested about our procurement of an IT Strategic Partner.

  1. (a) The attached annex provides a list of the companies who responded to the advert in the Official Journal of the European Communities.
  2. (b) It is expected that final tenders will invited from a short list of three or four companies during February 1997.
  3. (c) The Agency Trade Union Side is being kept informed about progress at our regular Whitley Council meetings. Additionally the Agency is establishing an IT Staff Consultative Group which will be regularly consulted during the development of the Agency's partnership requirements and when negotiations with the short listed companies are progressing.
  4. (d) Although the Agency's Management Board will take the final decision on the selection of the Partner, the Trade Union Side will be kept in touch with developments.

RADIOCOMMUNICATIONS AGENCY

IT STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP PROJECT

List of companies responding to the OJEC Advert

  • Netpoint
  • Pyramid Technology Ltd.
  • Prolog Systems Ltd.
  • Triad Group Ltd.
  • Admiral Management Services Ltd.
  • Elan Communications
  • Electric Data Systems Ltd.
  • Shiva Europe Ltd.
  • Sherwood Computer Services Group Ltd.
  • Real Time Maintenance
  • Hoskyns Group plc
  • Origin Data Realisation Ltd.
  • Anthony Cook Associates
  • SAIC Ltd.
  • Coda Ltd.
  • Kalamazoo Computer Group plc
  • CFM Group Ltd.
  • P and I Data Services Ltd.
  • Mackenzie Tribbeck Associates (Computer Consultants) Ltd.
  • Cril Ingenierie Groupe Coritec
  • Aegis Systems Ltd.
  • CMG Computer Management Group (UK) Ltd.
  • IT Counsel Ltd.
  • Amdahl (UK) Ltd.
  • IBM (UK) Ltd.
  • Data Sciences UK Ltd.
  • Sema Group UK Ltd.
  • ITnet Ltd.
  • Logica UK Ltd.
  • Deloitte and Touche Consulting Group
  • CSC Computer Services Ltd.
  • PA Consulting Group
  • ICL Enterprises Ltd.
  • Syntegra
  • Sequent Computer Systems Ltd.
  • BMC Software Ltd.
  • ASE Consulting
  • Systems Express Ltd.
  • VEGA Group plc
  • Kept for summary file
  • BT Sales
  • Unisys
  • Redifon Mel Ltd.
  • FI Group plc
  • WS Atkins Consultants Ltd.
  • Parity Solutions Ltd.
  • Cray Systems Ltd.
  • Mason Communications
  • Easams Ltd.
  • National Telecommunications Ltd.
  • DSSD
  • Integris UK (division of Bull Information Systems)
  • Data General Ltd.
  • Targetfour Ltd.
  • Origin/C and P UK

Letter from Jim Norton to Mr. Nick Harvey, dated 21 May 1996: The President of the Board of Trade has asked me to reply to your question about the employment of consultants in my Agency. This Agency did not assume responsibility for letting its own contracts until 1994. During the financial year 1994/95 contracts for external consultancy were let to 6 organisations at a cost of £238,000. During 1995/96 8 consultancy firms were engaged at a cost of £256,000. Because of the nature of this work there is some overlap of contracts between the years and therefore some double counting of the numbers of firms engaged.

Letter from Jim Norton to Mr. Nick Harvey, dated 21 May 1996: The President of the Board of Trade has asked me to reply to your question concerning procedures for monitoring refurbishment work at New King's Beam House. A project manager was employed to monitor the project. Formal weekly meetings were held on site and were attended by the RA's project sponsors. They also inspected the site and discussed all aspects of the project with the project managers and other professionals on a daily basis. Cost information is a commercial matter between the parties.

Letter from Jim Norton to Mr. Nick Harvey, dated 21 May 1996: The President of the Board of Trade has asked me to reply to your question about the selection of contractors for the refurbishment of New King's Beam House. A new contractor has been selected. Departmental procurement procedures were followed throughout. Trade Union participation in the selection process is not part of those procedures and they were not invited to participate.

Letter from Jim Norton to Mr. Nick Harvey, dated 21 May 1995: The President of the Board of Trade has asked me to reply to your question concerning the further location of staff in the Radiocommunications Agency. The Headquarters staff of the Radiocommunications Agency are currently located at New King's Beam House and will remain there until South Quay 3 in Docklands is ready for reoccupation.