HL Deb 22 March 2004 vol 659 c85WA
Baroness Byford

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Whitty on 23 February (WA 37), why the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has not held a single list of consultants and professional advisers employed by it; and whether the maintenance of such a list is standard practice in government departments. [HL1852]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Whitty)

The department does not have a single list of consultants and professional advisers employed. The department as a contracting authority under the public procurement rules expects to comply with those rules and not take any action that could be considered as anti-competitive or giving rise to the concern that all contractors were not being treated equally or with transparency.

The question of whether the creation and maintenance of such a list is standard practice in government departments is one that should be addressed to the Office of Government Commerce as it is best able to answer the question for central civil government as a whole.

Baroness Byford

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Whitty on 23 February (WA 37), whether the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs have since put in place a single list of consultants and professional advisers employed by them; and, if not, whether it will be in place in time to cover the financial year 2004–05. [HL1853]

Lord Whitty

The department has not put in place a single list of consultants and professional advisers employed. The department as a contracting authority under the public procurement rules expects to comply with those rules and not take any action that could be considered as anti-competitive or giving rise to the concern that all contractors were not being treated equally or with transparency.

The department has, as part of its e-procurement strategy, implemented an e-contracts database which will be live and available for use from 1 April 2004. This database has been developed to improve further the management of the department's relationships with its supply base and suppliers.