Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the Government has established a crisis management centre to tackle the risks of Interserve ceasing to trade.

Cabinet Office monitors the financial health of all of our strategic suppliers, including Interserve, and has regular discussions with the company’s management. Interserve is moving forward with a proposed deleveraging plan to improve its balance sheet through an established and controlled process. We are taking the necessary steps, commensurate with the perceived level of risk to ensure that public services will continue to be delivered if a supplier gets into difficulties. For example, through living wills