To ask the chairman of the Public Accounts Commission what account has been taken in the planning and estimates of the National Audit Office of the number of staff required to test the value-for-money policies on proposals for contracting out civil service work.

The Public Accounts Commission will be examining the National Audit Office's estimates for 1993–94 and corporate plan for 1993–94 to 1997–98 early next month. I understand that these take full account of the Government's "Competing for Quality" initiative.