To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has any plans to introduce a system of independent and objective evaluation of competitive tenders for the provision of local authority services, in cases where private sector agencies are in competition with direct labour organisations.

We have no proposals to remove the responsibility for tender evaluation from local authorities. Our approach is set out in the consultation document "Competing for Quality—Competition in the provision of local services", published on 5 November. We expect our proposals to result in a clearer and fairer framework for compulsory competitive tendering.