HC Deb 03 December 1997 vol 302 cc277-8W
Mr. Ruffley

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what contracts for services the Cabinet Office(a) has entered into since 2 May and (b) is proposing to enter into with (i) the Digital Equipment Company and (ii) Microsoft Corporation, or any of their subsidiaries. [18982]

Dr. David Clark

Since 2 May, the Cabinet Office (including the Prime Minister's Office and the Office of Public Service) and its agencies have entered into the following contracts:

  1. (i) With the Digital Equipment Company, the Prime Minister's Office has engaged some 4.5 days technical support to re-configure existing Digital equipment.
  2. (ii) With Microsoft, an existing contract for the provision of telephone support services for the Property Advisers to the Civil Estate has been renewed. The Prime Minister's Office has entered into a contract for telephone support of Microsoft products used in No. 10.

In addition, the Central Office of Information, for which I also have responsibility, took out a Microsoft Annual Incident Contract and Technet Licence for support of Microsoft products.

The services of the Digital Equipment Company are being used to design a replacement CAB-E-NET system under the terms of a contract with the Cabinet Office awarded in 1996 after a full and open competition complying with EC and GATT rules, for which Digital are working with Microsoft. This work does not involve a new contract.

No new contracts with either organisation are presently foreseen.

Mr. Ruffley

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what contracts for installing or supplying a replacement to the CAB-E-NET information technology system have been put out to open tender. [18980]

Dr. David Clark

The services of the Digital Equipment Company are being used to design a replacement CAB-E-NET system under the terms of a contract with the Cabinet Office awarded in 1996 after a full and open competition complying with EC and GATT rules.

Mr. Ruffley

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what discussions Ministers have had with representatives of(a) the Digital Equipment Company or Microsoft Corporation or any of their subsidiaries, regarding the replacement of the CAB-E-NET information technology system. [18981]

Dr. David Clark

Ministers in my Department have had no discussions with representatives of(a) the Digital Equipment Company and (b) Microsoft, or any of their subsidiaries, regarding the replacement of the CAB-E-NET information technology system. Discussions about the design of such a replacement have taken place at official level under a pre-existing contract with Digital.