HC Deb 14 February 2000 vol 344 c382W
Mr. Pickles

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how often the credit rating of companies supplying services to his Department is checked. [107746]

Yvette Cooper

Where companies supplying services to the Department are awarded contracts as a result of a formal tender exercise, Departmental guidelines require all such companies to be assessed as to their financial viability prior to the award. In some instances this will include a credit rating check. The Department does not, as a matter of routine, carry out financial assessments or credit rating checks either on small value contracts or on its existing suppliers except as part of another tender exercise.

Mr. Pickles

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if the credit rating of companies seeking to tender for services provided by his Department is checked before the contract is awarded. [107744]

Yvette Cooper

Departmental guidelines require short-listed companies, seeking to tender for services provided by the Department, to be assessed for financial viability prior to the award of any contract. In some cases this will include a credit rating check.

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