House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 2 Mar 2005 (pt 16)

2 Mar 2005 : Column 1208W—continued

SCOTLAND

Departmental Costs

Mr. George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what the cost of producing a staff identity pass was in the Department on the latest date for which figures are available; and how many staff identity passes have been reported lost or stolen in each year since 1997. [215093]

Mrs. McGuire: The Scotland Office was established on 1 July 1999. Staff identity passes for the Office are produced by the Scottish Executive and separate costs of production are not available. Details of passes lost or stolen are only available from January 2003; the information is as follows.

2 Mar 2005 : Column 1209W

Period Lost Stolen

2002–03⁽¹⁵⁾ 1 0

2003–04 3 1

⁽¹⁵⁾ Part year only.

Period	Lost	Stolen
2002–03⁽¹⁵⁾	1	0
2003–04	3	1

Departmental Publications

Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many publications his Department has

2 Mar 2005 : Column 1210W

produced in each of the last six years; how many copies of each publication were made; and what the total cost of producing each set of documents was. [210651]

Mrs. McGuire: The Scotland Office was established on 1 July 1999. Information on publications is set out in the following table; this does not include a number of documents currently on the Office website which were produced solely for web-based consultation or printing.

Year Title Number of copies Cost (£)

1999–2000 Comparisons of Motoring Taxation Costs Across Europe 200 (estimate) 4,500

2000–01 The Scotland Office Departmental Report 2000 150 2,000

The Scotland Office Resource Accounts 1999–2000 30 151

2001–02 Scotland Office Winter Supplementary Estimate 2001–02 50 2,200

Friends of Scotland 1,000 4,171

The Scotland Office Departmental Report 2001 150 3,160

The Scotland Office Resource Accounts 2000–01 55 2,323

2002–03 The Size of the Scottish Parliament—a consultation 750 1,007

Sunday Working in Scotland—a consultation 750 1,250

The Scotland Office Departmental Report 2002 150 3,869

The Scotland Office Resource Accounts 2001–02 55 2,346

2003–04 The Scotland Office Departmental Report 2003 150 4,036

The Scotland Office Resource Accounts 2002–03 60 2,142

2004–05 The Scotland Office Annual Report 2004 150 4,119

The Scotland Office Resource Accounts 2003–04 61 1,999

Fifth Periodical Report of the Boundary Commission for Scotland 500 7,374

Year	Title	Number of copies	Cost (£)
1999–2000	Comparisons of Motoring Taxation Costs Across Europe	200 (estimate)	4,500

2000–01	The Scotland Office Departmental Report 2000	150	2,000
	The Scotland Office Resource Accounts 1999–2000	30	151

2001–02	Scotland Office Winter Supplementary Estimate 2001–02	50	2,200
	Friends of Scotland	1,000	4,171
	The Scotland Office Departmental Report 2001	150	3,160
	The Scotland Office Resource Accounts 2000–01	55	2,323

2002–03	The Size of the Scottish Parliament—a consultation	750	1,007
	Sunday Working in Scotland—a consultation	750	1,250
	The Scotland Office Departmental Report 2002	150	3,869
	The Scotland Office Resource Accounts 2001–02	55	2,346

2003–04	The Scotland Office Departmental Report 2003	150	4,036
	The Scotland Office Resource Accounts 2002–03	60	2,142

2004–05	The Scotland Office Annual Report 2004	150	4,119
	The Scotland Office Resource Accounts 2003–04	61	1,999
	Fifth Periodical Report of the Boundary Commission for Scotland	500	7,374

Gaelic Language

Mr. Alan Reid: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what his Department's policy is on the use of the Gaelic language; and what plans his Department has to prepare and implement a Gaelic language scheme. [217096]

Mrs. McGuire: As I confirmed to the hon. Member at Scottish questions on 8 February 2005, Official Report, column 1331, the Scotland Office has been working closely with colleagues in Whitehall and the Scottish Executive on the voluntary arrangements for UK bodies in Scotland to reflect the spirit of the Scottish Parliament's legislative proposals on Gaelic language schemes.

The Scotland Office attaches great importance to the promotion and protection of the Gaelic language in line with the UK's obligations under the European Charter for Regional and Minority Languages.

ADVOCATE-GENERAL

Gaelic Language

Mr. Alan Reid: To ask the Advocate-General what her Department's policy is on the use of the Gaelic language; and what plans her Department has to prepare and implement a Gaelic language scheme. [217090]

Dr. Lynda Clark: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given today by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Scotland.

CABINET OFFICE

Departmental Contracts

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many contracts in his Department have been granted to (a) EDS, (b) Fujitsu and (c) EDS and Fujitsu jointly in each of the last two years; whether they were open to competition; for what they were granted; for how much; over what period of time; and if he will make a statement. [211606]

Mr. Miliband: The following contracts were awarded to EDS Ltd. and Fujitsu in 2002–03 and 2003–04.

EDS Ltd:

For: An Emergency Communications Network

This contract was originally let in October 2000 by the Home Office, through the Government Telecommunications Catalogue. The contract was transferred to the Cabinet Office in February 2002, and was extended by the Cabinet Office in October 2003 for a further two years to November 2005.

Value: As this contract is still current, this information is regarded as commercially confidential.

Fujitsu:

For: A Risk Analysis Study

Competitively Tendered: Yes

Value: Approximately £24,000

Duration: October 2002 to December 2002

For: Development of an Information Strategy

Competitively Tendered: Yes

Value: Approximately £140,000

Duration: March 2003 to June 2003

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For: Audit of Secure Computer Systems in Emergency Room

Competitively Tendered: No, in view of the value of the contract and the swift resolution required, a single-tender action was taken using Fujitsu. Fujitsu were able to provide information technology engineers who were already security cleared, which was a necessary requirement of this contract.

Value: Approximately £4,700

Duration: Five days in May 2003

For: A Scoping Study for a Management Information System

Competitively Tendered: Sourced from S-CAT

Value: Approximately £100,000

Duration: February 2004 to April 2004

No joint contracts were awarded to EDS Ltd. and Fujitsu.

The Cabinet Office awards contracts in open competition according to the EU Procurement Regulations, based on best value for money.

Government Car and Despatch Agency

Mr. George Osborne: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how much has been spent on overtime pay to drivers from the Government Car and Despatch Agency in each year since 1997. [215113]

Mr. Miliband: The responsibility for the provision of ministerial cars and drivers has been delegated under the terms of the Framework Document to the Government Car and Despatch Agency. I have asked its Chief Executive Mr. Nick Matheson to write to the hon. Member. Copies of his letter will be placed in the Library.

Waste

Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the status is of the review of co-ordination of interdepartmental responsibility for waste policy and the possible establishment of a strategic waste authority; and what plans there are to publish the review findings. [217602]

Dr. Whitehead: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what has been the outcome of the review conducted by his office of the scope for improving the co-ordination of interdepartmental responsibilities for waste policy; and what plans he has for its publication. [218771]

Mr. Miliband: The Strategy Unit's report Waste not Want Not: a Strategy for Tackling the Waste Problem in England" concluded that there should be a review to assess the merits of focusing all central government's waste policy in one Department. The Cabinet Office was invited by the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs to conduct this review. The conclusions of the review will be published in due course.

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