To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment criteria his Department used in the recent shortlisting for the police national network; and what weight was given to the technical expertise and experience in providing communications to Her Majesty's Government of each company expressing an interest in this project.

Each company was assessed on the basis of (1) whether any circumtances of article 29 of the Services Directive (which relates to financial probity) apply to the company in question; (2) its audited accounts for the last three years; (3) its overall turnover and its turnover from operating managed telecommunications services; (4) the managed networks which it provides; (5) the technical expertise within the organisations; (6) its total manpower and managerial staffing; (7) its technical infrastructure, equipment and facilities; and (8) the level of professional expertise in its operation of managed networks. The technical expertise of potential suppliers and their experience in providing communications to Her Majesty's Government and other users were therefore fully taken into account.