Asked by: Baroness Chapman of Darlington (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will publish his Department's (a) assessment of performance, (b) efficiency opportunities (c) savings market conditions, and (d) security risk management as a result of the most recent strategic management review with Capita on the Document Management and Associated Services (document storage) contract currently held by Capita Filestores in Darlington.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson
There is a structured performance management framework incorporated into the document storage contract held with the contractor, which includes monitoring of performance, continuous improvement, market sector comparison, identification of efficiency opportunities and management of security and risk in line with both parties’ contractual obligations. However, the contract re-procurement process has commenced and the Invitation to Tender documentation issued to the market place. Publication of the latest strategic review output specifically relating to the contractor’s performance on the contract during a competitive process where competing suppliers would have access to this information would potentially put the contractor as the incumbent supplier at a commercial disadvantage. Therefore, this information is deemed commercially sensitive and will not be released.
Asked by: Baroness Chapman of Darlington (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what legal advice his Department has received on the tendering process for the Document Management and Associated Services (document storage) bid.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson
Crown Commercial Service (CCS) on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions act as the Department’s managing agent on the tendering process for the Document Management and Associated Services (document storage).
Where there is a retender of a single supplier contract under which the incumbent supplier is employing staff to provide services, whether under the contract which is being replaced or when exiting the future contract which is currently being procured, it is part of CCS’s standard approach to seek legal advice from Government Legal Department to consider the terms of the contracts underlying the transfer.
We will not publish the legal advice received as part of this procurement. Any advice that CCS receives from Government Legal Department is subject to legal privilege and is not disclosable, even in a court of law.
Asked by: Baroness Chapman of Darlington (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reasons the Darlington Filestores site has not been included in the re-tendering bid for the Document Management and Associated Services (document storage) contract; and what his Department plans to do with the files held at this facility.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson
The decision for a single storage solution has been driven by the Department’s Business Strategy;
· To increase digitalisation and move to digital by default which will reduce physical storage requirements.
· To reduce DWP estates requirements.
· To reduce costs and provide greater value for money for the taxpayer.
Asked by: Baroness Chapman of Darlington (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people in Darlington constituency currently receive independent living fund payments.
Answered by Mike Penning
The Independent Living Fund records data by post code or local authority rather than by constituency and therefore, does not hold the information in the format requested. As at 13 March 2014 there are 63 ILF recipients in the area covered by Darlington Borough Council.
The ILF publishes data by local authority quarterly on its website: http://www.dwp.gov.uk/ilf/publications/corporate-publications/statistics/index.shtml