§ Ms AbbottTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many black and Asian-owned companies have applied for NHS contracts; how many have won the contracts they have applied for; and what plans there are to introduce ethnic monitoring into the contracting process to establish whether stated equal opportunities policies are successful. [19064]
§ Mr. HoramThe information requested is not available centrally. Trusts and health authorities are required to follow the European Union public procurement directives which set clear standards for the evaluation criteria which may be used in order to ensure openness and fairness of competition. There are no plans to introduce central monitoring of their compliance with the directives.