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Market Testing

Mr. Redmond: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will list for each of his Department' agencies what market testing has been carried out into the services they provide; and what were the results. [30046]

Mr. Jonathan Evans: The Lord Chancellor has responsibility for four agencies: the Court Service, HM Land Registry, the Public Record Office and the Public Trust Office. As the question concerns a specific operational matter, the chief executives of the agencies have been asked to reply direct.

Letter from Michael Huebner to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 22 May 1996:


Letter from Julia C. Lomas to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 22 May 1996:



    The Parliamentary Secretary has asked me to reply to you as part of the Lord Chancellor's Department's response to your Parliamentary Question, listed on 16 May 1996, regarding market testing carried out, the services provided and the results.
    The Public Trust Office market tested the typing service in 1993. The proposal made by the in-house team was successful.

Letter from Sarah Tyacke to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 22 May 1996:



    I have been asked by the Lord Chancellor's Parliamentary Secretary to reply for the Public Record Office to your question about the market testing of services provided by the agencies for which he is responsible.
    The Public Record Office has market tested the following:
    1. Security services
    The contract was awarded to the in-house bid team. Savings have amounted to £275,000 p.a. on pre-test costs of £1.14m p.a.
    2. General office copying
    It was decided, as part of the market testing process, that this service should be contracted out. The tender process did not produce a bid from the private sector which would have provided running-cost savings. The service remains in-house but is likely to be considered again within a proposed facilities management market test.
    Additional services costing £1.79m p.a. have been subject to other efficiency techniques under the Public Record Office's Competing for Quality programmes, producing savings estimated at £174,500 p.a. for 1996-97.

22 May 1996 : Column: 227

Letter from John Manthorpe to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 22 May 1996:



    I have been asked by the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, to reply to your recent question concerning the results of market testing within HM Land Registry. I can supply the following information:

    Service ResultSaving (£ per annum)
    Inspection SurveysRetained in-house31,500
    Full surveysOutsourced167,250
    Building maintenance/Estate managementOutsourced44,000
    CateringOutsourced398,000
    Records managementRetained in-house99,000
    Security guardingPart outsourced Part retained in-house29,000
    Graphic Design/PrintingRetained in-house19,000
    Legal servicesOutsourced4,000
    IT procurement/Hardware support/TrainingPart outsourced Part retained in-house62,600
    Local file managementRetained in-houserising to 1,200,000
    Local reprographicsFunction disbanded Machinery outsourced422,000
    Finance--paymentsTender in progress--
    Payroll administrationTender in progress--
    IT servicesIn progress--
    Finance--Receipts/DebtsIn progress--
    Pensions administrationIn progress--
    Transfers and removalsIn progress--

Probate Offices

Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what representations he has received from trade unions, members of the public and public bodies concerning the proposed closure of probate offices. [30361]

Mr. Jonathan Evans: The question concerns a specific operational matter on which the chief executive of the Court Service is best placed to provide an answer and I have accordingly asked the chief executive to reply direct.

Letter from Michael Huebner to Mr. Gordon Prentice, dated 22 May 1996:


22 May 1996 : Column: 228

OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION

Rwanda

Mr. Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received in respect of deaths caused by suffocation of inmates in Rwandan prisons; and what representations he has made to the Rwandan Government about conditions in Rwandan jails. [30334]

Mr. Hanley: The human rights field operation in Rwanda reports that five detainees died from suffocation during April. A further 37 died as a result of various illnesses. Our ambassador has made representations to the Rwandan Government about prison conditions, including these latest incidents.

Zaire

Mr. Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the current security situation in Zaire, with particular reference to the recent ethnic clashes in eastern Zaire. [30218]

Mr. Hanley: We are extremely concerned about the ethnic conflict in eastern Zaire and the recent reports of further killings. We make regular representations to all the Governments in the region to encourage a return to peace and stability.

Angola

Mr. Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of breaches of the peace plan in Angola. [30330]

Mr. Hanley: As the UN Secretary-General noted in his report of 30 April to the Security Council, the level of ceasefire violations has diminished. However, the implementation of the Lusaka protocol has been delayed considerably, particularly in the key areas of quartering of UNITA troops and reaching agreement on the incorporation of UNITA personnel into the joint armed forces. The overall achievements still fall well short of what we and other members of the Security Council expected. We have made our dissatisfaction clear to both sides, and continue to use every opportunity to encourage progress.

Mr. Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the progress of the peace process in Angola. [30332]

Mr. Hanley: Implementation of the Lusaka protocol remains behind schedule. We have urged both sides to honour their commitments without delay. Dr. Savimbi's recent undertaking to quarter 50,000 UNITA troops by 15 June is a welcome step forward.

22 May 1996 : Column: 229

Mr. Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the policy of Her Majesty's Government towards the sale of diamonds in international markets on behalf of UNITA. [30333]

Mr. Hanley: The sale of diamonds from Angola is a matter for the Angolan authorities, but we look forward to a time when Angola's natural resources are used for the benefit of the Angolan people as a whole.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

Market Testing

Mr. Redmond: To ask the Attorney-General if he will list, for his Department's agency, what market testing has been carried out into the services it provides and what were the results. [30113]

The Attorney-General: The two agencies for which I am responsible have participated in the following market tests in the year 1995-96. Contracts were won by the agencies in the cases shown.

The Treasury Solicitor's Department (TSD)Whether bid successful
Provision of legal services
Council for the Central Laboratory of the Research CouncilsNo
Welsh Development AgencyNo
Funding Agency for Schools (jointly with GPL)Yes
ODAYes
Local Government Boundary Commission for WalesYes
Department for Education and Employment (Employment Service)No
The Government Property Lawyers (GPL)
Provision of legal services in relation to property matters
Council for the Central Laboratory of the Research CouncilsNo
Department of TransportNo
Highways Agency (London and Dorking areas)Yes
Highways Agency (Exeter, Bedford and Manchester areas)No
Funding Agency for Schools (jointly with TSD)Yes
Welsh Development AgencyNo
Inland RevenueNo
DSS/BA EstatesNo
English Nature (Cumbria team)No
Department of Trade and IndustryYes


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