Dr. Tony WrightTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) if she will allow West Mercia Services to make an in-house bid to continue to provide the services it currently undertakes; [4980]
(2) if she will allow in-house bids for departmental contracts. [4988]
§ Mr. FieldWest Mercia Services are part of the Department's Accommodation and Office Services project. This is one of a range of initiatives the Department of Social Security is engaged in to test the value for money of involving external contractors. We 69W will review these initiatives, including Partnerships Schemes, in the light of our objectives for modernising the delivery of the welfare system; the implications for customer service, staff and the taxpayer; our commitment to work within the announced spending totals for the first 70W two years of Government; our aim of getting best value for public money; the scope to apply the private sector's expertise, discipline and economies of scale in procuring public services and securing investment; and the flexibility for government to make changes at a later date.