To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what guidance his Department issues on recruitment, diversity and employee rights when awarding contracts to external providers for work for his Department. (182931)

[holding answer 28 January 2008]: It is a mandatory requirement for all external providers of services to the Department to comply with the full range of social legislation, including that covering recruitment, diversity and employee rights. These requirements are set out in the tendering instructions issued to organisations wishing to bid for contracts, and again in the Department’s contractual terms and conditions.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what monitoring systems are in place on diversity, equality and employee rights standards for departmental work awarded by contract to external providers. (182932)

[holding answer 28 January 2008]: The compliance of external providers with standards of diversity, equality and employee rights is regularly monitored by my Department’s contract management staff. Contracts can be terminated in the event of a serious breach of these standards.

The Department has a separate contract with an independent external organisation to check that providers have appropriate diversity and equality policies in place; these checks are made before contracts are awarded, and repeated annually thereafter.