HC Deb 20 July 2000 vol 354 c321W
Ms Coffey

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will announce the outcome of the invitation to tender for the Criminal Records Bureau Information Systems and Services; and if he will make a statement. [132068]

Mr. Charles Clarke

The Criminal Records Bureau issued an invitation to tender on 12 June 2000, for the provision of information systems and services through a public private sector partnership. Three firms had previously been shortlisted, and they provided their submissions in response to the invitation to tender on 28 June.

Following a thorough evaluation against separate qualitative and financial criteria, Bernard Herdan, chief executive of the Criminal Records Bureau, has accepted the recommendation of the tender evaluation board that the tender from Capita should be selected as the one which is the most economically advantageous based on the best combination of technical design, customer service, quality, schedule, risk transfer and cost. The Criminal Records Bureau and Capita will now commence preferred supplier negotiations with a view to awarding a contract in the near future, subject to completion of a satisfactory appraisal and business case.