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Dept of the Environment Transport and the Regions

Answer

Mr. Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions on what grounds the Quarry Products Association's proposed preferential purchasing scheme for aggregates was considered incompatible with the green purchasing commitments set out in his Department's publication entitled "Building a better quality of life--a strategy for more sustainable construction". [131094] Ms Beverley Hughes: The proposals in the Quarry Products Association's Q-mark scheme were carefully considered by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor in preparing his Budget Statement. However, the proposed conditions of entry to the Q-mark scheme, which would qualify suppliers for preferential purchasing of aggregate by the public sector were, on the basis of the information provided, felt to be incompatible with UK competition law and EU procurement law. The burden of meeting the Q-mark entry conditions would have borne differentially on different sizes of operators, and in particular could have been harder for the small and medium-sized enterprises in the industry, including those not in QPA membership, to meet.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

354 c205W; 131094

Session

1999-00

Subjects

Aggregates Competition law Environment protection Procurement Quarrying Quarry Products Association

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk