HC Deb 11 May 2004 vol 421 c220W
Mr. Hancock

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when, during the process to outsource IT support and provision across his Department, he will provide to trade unions,(a) a risk strategy, (b) a scoping study, (c) an up to date procurement strategy, (d) a personnel impact study, (e) an intelligent customer strategy and (f) information on a public service comparator; and if he will make a statement. [168288]

Mr. Ingram

As previously agreed with the Council of Civil Service Unions (CCSU), a meeting is being arranged at a mutually convenient date to review the key risks identified within the Defence Information Infrastructure (DII) programme and their management. This meeting should have taken place by mid May. The DII Business Prospectus provides a comprehensive description of the intended scope of the programme. This was made available to the TUs on 3 April 2003.

A copy of the Procurement Strategy Review Note was made available to the TUs on 3 April 2003. At the request of the CCSU, on 13 February 2004 a copy of comments provided by HM Treasury on the Review Note was also provided.

A copy of the report produced at the end of the Personnel Impact Study was made available to TUs on 24 June 2003.

The work on the Intelligent Customer Strategy is in its early stages with the plan for its production currently being formulated. It was agreed with the CCSU at a meeting on 16 February 2004 that they would be directly involved in its development. The plan should be sufficiently developed by 7 May to allow the TUs to see and comment on it.

As the CCSU is aware, the work on the Public Sector Comparator is reaching a state of maturity that will enable it to be communicated to the TUs. Again, this is expected to be done by 7 May.

Mr. Hancock

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he will make it his policy to ensure that there is an in-house bidder for the support and provision of IT across his Department. [168292]

Mr. Ingram

No. A significant proportion of the Department's IT provision has been outsourced in recent years as part of wider initiatives to make greater use of the private sector in the provision of public services. The Department's policy is that when services already delivered under outsourcing arrangements are re-competed or rationalised, in-house bids should not normally be invited because the associated requirement for substantial reinvestment in management, training and support systems makes it unlikely that an in-house option would represent value for money. Where no in-house bid is invited, an estimate of the costs of a public sector option or a "status quo" option would normally be made, in order to provide a value for money benchmark.