Written question asked by John Marshall (Conservative), in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 4 March 1997. It was answered by Paul Beresford (Conservative) on Tuesday, 4 March 1997 on behalf of the Department of the Environment.

Dept of the Environment

Question: To comment on the response of the council of the London Borough of Barnet to the notice served on them on 21st November 1996 in respect of their decision to assign refuse collection work to their direct service organisation. - Includes fact that Sec of State has today given a direction to the authority. The effect of the direction is that the authority must retender the work immediately and seek consent if it wishes to continue to carry out the work in-house.

Answer: Mr. John Marshall: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the response of the council of the London borough of Barnet to the notice served on it on 21 November 1996 in respect of its decision to assign refuse collection work to its direct service organisation. [18865] Sir Paul Beresford: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State, has considered the response made by the authority on 18 December. He has today given a direction to the authority because it still appears to him that the authority acted in an anti-competitive manner in assigning work to its direct service organisation. He took this view because of the way in which the authority had reached its decision to assign the work. The effect of the direction is that the authority must retender the work immediately and seek consent if it wishes to continue to carry out the work in-house.

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: 18865; 291 c602W
Session: 1996-97
Subjects: Competition Contracts for services Direct labour departments Domestic waste Waste disposal Barnet Council