§ Mr. GrayTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to his answer of 30 January 2004,Official Report, column 570W, and in connection with the 28th Report of the Committee of Public Accounts, Session 1999–2000, HC 431, Inland Revenue/EDS Strategic Partnership, Re-tendering the contract in 2004, Paragraph 54, and Minutes of Evidence (HC 431-i) Questions 14 and 40, who the board member responsible for Mr. John Yard's division on 12 April 2000 was; on what date he commenced planning for retendering the Inland Revenue's information technology service; and on what date it was decided that a market-making exercise would be held prior to retendering that contract. [153408]
§ Dawn PrimaroloThe Board member responsible for Business Services on 12 April 2000 was Tim Flesher, who at that time was the Inland Revenue's Deputy Chairman. As I stated in my answer of 16 December 2003,Official Report, column 803W, planning for the ASPIRE project began in January 2001. In addition, as I stated in my answer of 14 October 2003, Official 1082W Report, column 141W, the Market making exercise was conceived by the Inland Revenue between August and October 2001; it was also committed to at that time.