§ Mr. Keith SimpsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the names and appointments of the(a) civil servants, (b) military personnel and (c) external consultants who make up the Smart Procurement Implementation Team. [74647]
§ Mr. George Robertson[holding answer 4 March 1999]: The Implementation Team for the Smart Procurement Initiative planning phase comprises 48 full and part-time members. Team members include 25 civilian and 15 military personnel and 8 representatives from industry. The Implementation Team is being supported during the planning phase by external consultants from McKinsey & Co and KPMG, supplemented by occasional temporary attachments of civilian and military personnel on ad hoc activities. The names of some members of the Smart Procurement Implementation Team are included on the team's website (www.mod.uk/policy/smart).
§ Mr. Keith SimpsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the impact of the recent merger of BAe and Marconi on his Department's Smart Procurement policy. [74643]
§ Mr. George Robertson[holding answer 4 March 1999]: The MOD is currently assessing the impact of the proposed merger and will be advising the regulatory authorities in due course. It is not, however, expected to have any impact on our Smart Procurement policy.