§ Norman LambTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, 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. [147586]
§ Ruth KellyThe Chancellor of the Exchequer's Departments base their procurement decisions on obtaining goods and services that represent the best value for money and are in accordance with their public policy remits, within European legislation and the Government's UK procurement rules. These departments do not currently have outsourced IT or call centre contracts with offshore companies, with the exception of limited technical support provided under very strict security arrangements as part of the Inland Revenue's Self Assessment system. This arrangement will end in July 2004.