---

6 Dec 1999 : Column WA69

Written Answers

Monday, 6th December 1999.

EDS: Government Contracts

Earl Russell asked Her Majesty's Government:

What computer contracts they have concluded with the firm EDS in the last 10 years.[HL11]

The Minister of State, Cabinet Office (Lord Falconer of Thoroton): The following list sets out all the contracts concluded by the Government with EDS over the last 10 years in which CCTA has been involved. There is no central record of any other contracts.

Date	Department	Project	Duration
1989	Student Loan Company (DES)	To implement, install and staff the systems required to run the Government Student Loan Scheme	6 years
1992	Civil Aviation Authority	To develop a prototype workstation for all air traffic controllers
December 1993	MoD RAF	Logistic Support System (LSS)	3 years
1993	MoD	To develop and supply portable advanced mission planning aids for RAF Harriers
1993	Department of Transport (DETR)	Privatisation of DVOIT, the former IT arm of the Drivers and Vehicle Licensing Agency. Contracts also let to EDS by the department for the provision of IT services	5 years, extended
1994	MoD	Software packages for the European Allied Command Rapid Reaction Corps (ARRC)
1994	MoD	Advanced modular components acquisition programme
November 1994	MoD Royal Navy	Strategic Upkeep and Stores Supply (UPKEEP) system	5-10 years
1994	Inland Revenue	Outsourcing of the majority of the Department's Information Technology systems and services	10 years
1992 to 1995	DSS Child Suppoprt Agency	Contracts placed between 1992 and 1995: Operational Accounting System. Maintenance Assessment: Support to the live running of the system. Technical Services: Agreement to provide resources to develop the system
1995	MoD	Strategic partnership agreement with the Logistic Information Systems Agency (LISA)	5-7 years
1995	DSS ITSA	FOCUS 1995: Two contracts, to operate a series of mainframe based systems and central data services	5 and 10 years
April 1996	CCTA	EDS appointed prime contractor for the Government IS/IT Catalogue (GCAT)	3 years extended to 2001
1996	MoD Royal Navy	Command support system	10 years
August 1996	MoD Army	Training Administration and Financial Management Information System (TAFMIS)	11 years
September 1996	LCD Court Service	Local County Court System (LOCCS--subsequently called Court Computer Systems)	7 years extended to 10 years
1997	MoD	Fieldforce Equipment Management Information System	3 years
1997	Paymaster Agency	Privatised and acquired by Hogg Robinson (H-R) and EDS	5 years
November 1997	MoD	Armed Forces Personnel Administration Agency (AFPAA)	10-12 years
January 1998	MoD	Joint Operations Command System (JOCS)	5 years
1998	DSS	The ACCORD (ACCess to CORporate Data) project. A consortium led by EDS (Affinity) has been appointed as preferred lead service provider for this project and negotiations are underway to allocate business under this arrangement
May 1998	DfEE Employment Service	Strategic IT Partner	10 years

6 Dec 1999 : Column WA70

6 Dec 1999 : Column WA71

Parliamentary and Crown Copyright: Public Access to Information

Lord Lester of Herne Hill asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they plan to amend the law relating to parliamentary and Crown copyright so as to facilitate the public's right of access to legislation and information about the workings of government.[HL13]

Lord Falconer of Thoroton : In the Government White Paper The Future Management of Crown Copyright (Cm 4300) it was announced that the copyright in a wide range of official material, including legislation, would be waived, removing any restrictions on its reuse in print or electronic media. This policy, combined with the availability of legislation and related materials on government websites, is designed to encourage access and reuse of official material by the public.

Capital Market Liberalisation

Lord Judd asked Her Majesty's Government:

What is their policy towards the restriction of the movement of capital in poorer and more vulnerable countries of the world in order to prevent financial crises; and what they advocate as the appropriate policy of the International Monetary Fund in this respect.[HL130]

Lord McIntosh of Haringey : The Government believe that open capital markets can bring huge economic benefits and support efforts to encourage orderly, progressive capital account liberalisation. The Government recognise that large short-term capital movements can be destabilising and believe that the benefits of liberalisation are best enjoyed in countries which have embarked upon properly sequenced economic reform. Sound macroeconomic policy, open and credible institutions and procedures and a healthy financial sector are essential pre-conditions for orderly capital account liberalisation.

At the Cologne Economic Summit, the UK Government and their G7 partners urged the IMF to continue its work on the appropriate pace and sequencing of capital market liberalisation and to explore other issues related to the fund's role in facilitating an orderly approach to liberalisation.

Immigration and Nationality Directorate: Country Assessments

Lord Graham of Edmonton asked Her Majesty's Government:

When they expect to make available the latest revisions of the Immigration and Nationality Directorate's country assessments.[HL207]

6 Dec 1999 : Column WA72

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord Bassam of Brighton) : Revised country assessments were made available to caseworkers during September 1999. They will be made publicly available on the Home Office Internet site within the next few weeks and copies placed in the Library. The assessments are all sourced to information obtained from independent external sources and from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

A list of the countries for which assessments are prepared was set out in an Answer given by my honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary at the Home Office (Mr. O'Brien) to the Member for Halton on 13 May 1998, House of Commons Official Report, cols. 127-28. They are revised at six-monthly intervals, previously in March and September. The schedule will change to April and October from 2000.

Crime Fighting Fund: Bidding Guidelines

Lord Graham of Edmonton asked Her Majesty's Government:

When they intend to publish the bidding guidelines for police forces to follow when bidding for a share of the Crime Fighting Fund for police recruits.[HL208]

Lord Bassam of Brighton: My right honourable friend the Home Secretary today placed a copy of the bidding guidelines, together with a copy of the form which forces and police authorities should use to apply for a share of the fund, in the Library.

Copies of the guidelines and the form were sent to all chief constables and chairmen of police authorities today. Those wishing to bid should complete the form and return it to the Home Office by 10 January 2000.

Tibet and Inner Mongolia: World Bank Project

Lord Beaumont of Whitley asked Her Majesty's Government:

What is their response to the World Bank's plan to finance the resettlement of 50,000 farmers in Tibet and Inner Mongolia in view of civil rights and ecological implications of the plan.[HL115]

Baroness Amos: The World Bank's Poverty Reduction Project in Western China should bring benefits to almost 1.7 million of the poorest people in China. It aims to meet the needs of the poor households in remote and inaccessible villages through initiatives to raise incomes and enhance access to basic social services.

We judge that sufficient checks and balances have been put in place to ensure that any outstanding questions about the social and environmental appraisals will be adequately addressed. We supported the decision of the World Bank Executive Board to approve the project but to hold funding on the Qinghai

6 Dec 1999 : Column WA73

component of the project until the results of an independent inspection panel are known.

The inspection panel has just returned from the project area having conducted an investigation into whether the Bank violated policies and procedures with regard to the design and appraisal of the project. The panel will prepare a report which will be submitted to the Executive Board of the World Bank in early 2000.

National Curriculum: Food and Nutrition Component

Baroness Hooper asked Her Majesty's Government:

What are the reasons for the decision against making food and nutrition a compulsory subject at key stage 3 of the national curriculum, contrary to the results of the consultation process.[HL57]

The Minister of State, Department for Education and Employment (Baroness Blackstone): The study of nutrition is a compulsory part of the national curriculum at key stages 2 to 4. Following the recent consultation, we have decided that it will remain so, with some expansion and clarification at key stage 3.

At present, schools are required to teach either food technology or textiles as part of the key stage 3 design and technology programme of study. The consultation asked for views about making both compulsory, noting that there would be significant resource implications for the minority of schools that do not currently teach both. My right honourable friend the Secretary of State decided not to make these elements compulsory in view of the potential cost to schools. He did, however, decide to promote the teaching of food technology in a number of ways. He asked the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority to develop the scheme of work for design and technology at key stage 3 in such a way that it exemplified the range of ways in which schools currently teach food technology and textiles. He also requested that guidance, also being developed by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority, encouraged links between food technology and the opportunities for teaching nutrition, health and hygiene under the new framework for personal, social and health education.

---