Written question asked by John Sykes (Conservative), in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 27 February 1997. It was answered by Paul Beresford (Conservative) on Thursday, 27 February 1997 on behalf of the Department of the Environment.

Dept of the Environment

Question: Statement on the response of Wolverhampton Metropolitan Borough Council to the notice served on them on 11th September 1996 in respect of their decision to assign highway maintenance, winter maintenance and street lighting work to their direct labour organisation. - Includes fact that Secretary of State has today served a direction on the authority.

Answer: Mr. Sykes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the response of Wolverhampton metropolitan borough council to the notice served on it on 11 September 1996 in respect of its decision to assign highway maintenance, winter maintenance and street lighting work to its direct labour organisation. [18141] Sir Paul Beresford: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has considered the response made by the authority on 10 October. He has today served a direction on the authority because it still appears to him that the authority acted in an anti-competitive manner in assigning work to its direct labour organisation. He took this view because of the way in which the authority undertook the evaluation of bids. The effect of the direction is to require the authority to seek consent if, when it retenders the work at the end of the current assignment, it wishes to continue to carry it out in-house.

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: 18141; 291 c298-9W
Session: 1996-97
Subjects: Competition Contracts for services Direct labour departments Road works Wolverhampton Metropolitan Borough Council