§ Norman LambTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on his Department's procurement policy with regard to offshore IT and call centre outsourcing; whether his Department is outsourcing IT and call centre jobs to offshore companies; to which countries his Department has outsourced these jobs; how much his Department has spent on this outsourcing in each of the last two years; and how much has been budgeted for this purpose for the next two years. [147590]
§ Mr. McNultyThe Department complies with Government procurement policy, which is that all procurement is based on value for money, having due regard to propriety and regularity. The Department must comply with the requirements of the EU Treaty, including the principles of non-discrimination, the EC procurement directives and the UK's international obligations. The Department has not outsourced any IT or call centre jobs to offshore companies and currently has no plans to do so.