R And C Williams Of Birmingham

EDM number 77 in 1996-97, proposed by Jeff Rooker on 28/10/1996.

That this House notes parliamentary answers indicating that agents acting for the Department of Transport in respect of the Midland Link Motorways awarded 20 out of 21 routine maintenance contracts to R & C Williams of Birmingham without a competitive tender; recognises that 18 of these contracts were worth ú3.8 million; observes that the same company in 1989 agreed a negotiated contract for Birmingham City Coun cil for the cladding of the Paradise Circus Tunnel at a price of ú201,000 and then went on to win the tenders for three similar contracts worth ú902,000 between 1990 and 1993; understands the same firm in 1995 installed the drainage gutter in the A38 Aston Expressway at a cost of ú50,000 again with competitve tender; cannot understand why firms in the construction industry such as R & C Williams appear to be exempt by both central government departments and local authorities from the full competitive tendering process; and believes that there are grounds for the National Audit Office and the Audit Commission to look into this particular aspect of public spending and to assess how value for money is achieved when tenders are not involved or when work done by negotiated contract could lead to inside knowledge to assist with later competitive bids and to pronounce if the operation of lists of selected companies used for such work should not be completely changed every few years to bring transparency to the process.

This motion has been signed by a total of 24 MPs.