§ Mr. ToddTo ask the Attorney-General if he will list each of the functions relating to payment for goods or services supplied for which his Department is responsible indicating the management systems purchased, all subcontractors involved in the work, co-operative arrangements with other Departments; and the costs of the systems and processes in the last year for which figures are available. [12566]
§ The Attorney-GeneralThe position in relation to the Department for which I am responsible is as follows:
The Crown Prosecution Service
The Crown Prosecution Service has 13 geographical areas, a central case work group and a national headquarters. Each area has its own accounts section which is responsible for handling invoices for goods and services received and claims from prosecution witnesses in respect of expense claims for attendance at court.In 1996–97 the CPS employed Chessington Computer Services Ltd. to process and make payments to suppliers and to witnesses. The software used by Chessington Computer Services Ltd. was the management accounting information system, MAISY. The cost of this service was £723,894.672WThere are no sub-contractors involved in making payments. The internal process costs could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.Serious Fraud Office
The Serious Fraud Office use a payment processing package known as Purchase Ledger supplied by CEDARDATA.The majority of payments are made through Paymaster by payable order or, if to another Government Department, by transfer. No sub-contractors are involved.The cost of processing payments in 1996–97 is estimated at £32,500.Treasury Solicitor's Department
All payments for goods and services supplied to Treasury Solicitor's Department and my own office are processed by the Treasury Solicitor's Department's financial accounting and information system, FAIS, which uses Image software supplied by TABS Ltd.The majority of payments are made through Paymaster by payable order or, if to another Government Department, by transfer. In addition, the Department has recently implemented a facility which enables payments to be made via the bank automated clearing system. No sub-contractors are involved.The cost of processing payments in 1996–97 is estimated at £109,000.