§ Lord Merlyn-Reesasked Her Majesty's Government:
When they will announce the outcome of the Invitation to Tender for the Prison Service's Quantum project. [HL379]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord Bassam of Brighton)The Invitation to Tender for the Quantum Project, for an information technology infrastructure service, joint development of a strategy for information technology-based business change and an agreed mechanism for implementing business change on a partnership basis, was issued on 25 September. The short-listed companies provided their submissions in response to the invitation to tender on 8 November. Following thorough evaluation against commercial and, separately, qualitative criteria, Martin Narey, Director General of the Prison Service has selected the tender of Electronic Data Systems (EDS) as the one which is the most economically advantageous to the Prison Service based on the best combination of deliverability, quality, risk transfer and cost. The Prison Service and EDS will now commence preferred supplier negotiations with a view to award of contract.