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Cabinet Office

Answer

Mr. Amess: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what controls are used to assess (a) competitiveness and (b) relative costs, and what measures he takes to limit those costs when purchasing printed matter from The Stationery Office. [66093] Mr. Kilfoyle: The Cabinet Office seeks to achieve best value for money from all of its purchasing activities whether it is buying printed matter or other goods and services. Cabinet Office Print Procurement arrangements are currently handled via the Central Office of Information which places work with suppliers who have been appointed after competition and in accordance with EC Public Procurement regulations. The Stationery Office Ltd. is just one of those suppliers and is only used when it is able to provide the most cost-effective solution. In addition, the Controller of Her Majesty's Stationery Office, acting in her capacity as Queen's Printer, has a number of Print and Publishing contracts with The Stationery Office Ltd. These cover the "Civil Service Year Book", Acts of Parliament, Measures of the Synod of the Church of England, Statutory Instruments, Statutory Rules of Northern Ireland, Command Papers, and the London, Belfast and Edinburgh Gazettes. The contracts, which were let on 30 September 1996 as part of the privatisation exercise undertaken by the last Administration, expire on various dates between 30 September 2000 and 30 September 2001. The process of re-tendering under EC Public Procurement procedures will commence in April 1999. If The Stationery Office Ltd. decides to bid for any Cabinet Office contract it is treated no differently from any other company submitting tenders for the work.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

66093; 323 c405-6W

Session

1998-99

Subjects

Contracts Cost effectiveness EU law Government departments Privatisation Publications Procurement TSO