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Mr. Nicholas Winterton : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 27 April, Official Report, column 373 if he will make a statement on the grounds upon which the French company Glauser International was awarded the £4.8 million contract for the work on the new immigration and consular building in Islamabad.

Mr. Goodlad : Glauser International was awarded the contract, in preference to the other three firms--one of them British--who submitted tenders, because its tender was the lowest, it had an established presence in Pakistan and it offered higher levels of supervision, including an experienced British project manager, and an earlier completion date.

Mr. Nicholas Winterton : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 27 April, Official Report , column 373 , if he will list those criteria by which practicable participation is assessed when considering tenders by British companies for work on the overseas diplomatic estate ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Goodlad : The criteria for practicable participation in given local circumstances are assessed when drawing up the short list of companies to be invited to tender. The criteria include local regulations about the participation of non-local companies and of joint ventures, the managerial and technical competence and the financial status of companies under consideration, the extent of their local presence, experience and knowledge of local working conditions, and their track record in comparable circumstances.

Mr. Nicholas Winterton : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 27 April, Official Report , column 373 , if he will make a statement providing details of the way in which best value for money is assessed when considering tenders by British companies for work on the overseas diplomatic estate.

Mr. Goodlad : British companies that meet the pre-qualification criteria are invited to tender in competition with local or other companies, similarly pre-qualified : this ensures competition and the best value of money for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. After their receipt, tenders are assessed on price, compliance with the technical documentation--or acceptable alternatives--and project execution capability.

Mr. Nicholas Winterton : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will publish details of those contracts valued at £500,000 or more which have been awarded for work on the overseas diplomatic estate in each of the last five years for which figures are available ; if he will indicate, in each case, the location of the work, the value of the contract awarded, the name and the nationality of the company which was given the contract ; if any British company tendered for the work ; in which publications advertisements for the tender were placed ; and why, if a British company tendered for the work, its bid was not successful.

Mr. Goodlad : The information requested is being deposited in the Library of the House.

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Political Parties (State Funding)

Mr. Allen : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what changes have taken place since his answer of 17 July 1990, Official Report, column 496, in arrangements for state funding for politcal parties in each of the Group of Seven nations.

Mr. Garel-Jones : The information available to us is as follows : (

(a) Canada

No change from the answer of 17 July 1990, Official Report, column 496 ;

(b) France

A Bill passed in autumn 1992 provided for :

(i) public funding of political parties which put up at least 50 candidates, in proportion to their share of the vote in the legislative elections and where applicable, to the number of their senators and deputies ; and

(ii) reimbursement of campaign expenses up to a maximum of FF50,000, provided that the

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candidate obtains at least 5 per cent. of the vote in the first round.

These arrangements will not come into effect until after 1994. (

(c) Germany

The existing legislation--1990 answer--is under review.

(d) Italy

Italians voted in the referendums on 18 and 19 April to abolish state funding of political parties.

(e) Japan

No change in formal state funding.

(f) United States

President Clinton introduced on 7 May a proposal for campaign finance reform. Under it, candidates accepting voluntary limits on spending would receive vouchers for broadcast air time, postage and printing from federal funds. These would be financed by closing a loophole allowing tax deductions for lobbying expenses and increasing the voluntary check-off on tax returns to $5. The proposal is controversial.

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