§ Mr. LoveTo ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission, what monitoring of compliance by the Stationery Office with the contract to provide printing services has taken place since privatisation; when the contract is due for renewal; on what criteria the tendering process will be based; and if he will make a statement. [75815]
§ Mr. KirkwoodThe performance standards laid down in the current contract between the House and the Stationery Office (TSO) for the provision of printing services are monitored daily by the Vote Office, and senior House Officers meet regularly with the senior management of TSO to review performance and resolve problems. The contract will expire on 31 December 1999 unless the House exercises its option to extend the term for a limited period. With the approval of the Commission, the printing services covered by the contract have been put out to open tender in accordance with EU procedures, and expressions of interest are currently being evaluated. The relevant notice, which describes the award criteria, was published in the supplement to the Official Journal of the European Communities on 31 July 1998.