[holding answer 1 May 2008]: It is Remploy’s responsibility to ensure its procurement targets are met.
However, the Department is leading work with Remploy, Trade Unions, Office of Government Commerce and British Association for Supported Employment using Article 19 of the new public sector procurement Directive as a means of securing more public sector contracts for Supported Businesses including Remploy through the Public Procurement Regulations.
The Department has established an Implementation Monitoring Group which includes representatives from Remploy, Trade Unions and the Department. The group tracks progress against the modernisation plan, including procurement.
Officials also chair a quarterly review meeting with the Remploy executive team to discuss performance against targets.
[holding answer 1 May 2008]: The changes in the total costs of Remploy businesses and central costs (outturn prices) since April 2003 are in the table.
Total costs Cumulative change since 2003 +/- Yearly changes in costs +/- 2002-03 158.8 — — 2003-04 148.1 -10.7 -10.7 2004-05 157.2 -1.6 +9.1 2005-06 155.0 -3.8 -2.2 2006-07 154.8 -4.0 -0.2 2007-08 150.1 -8.7 -4.7 Source: Remploy Management Information
[holding answer 1 May 2008]: Information about the other costs associated with redundancy in respect of each closed Remploy factory is not available.
The available information about redundancy payments is in the following table.
£ Aintree 1,287,005 Barnsley 608,956 Bradford 328,944 Brixton 844,129 Brynamman 235,455 CCU 950,932 Chandlers Ford 98,925 Halifax 313,447 Hartlepool 1,174,275 Hillington 696,164 Hull 715,355 Jarrow 491,750 Leatherhead 287,311 Lydney 350,613 Mansfield 1,242,239 Medway 771,775 Newcastle-under-Lyme 461,373 Pinxton 1,603,036 Plymouth 525,807 Redruth 366,447 Southend 330,523 St. Helens 4,297,883 Stockport 799,235 Stockton 804,650 Treforest 1,443,502 Wisbech 219,298 Woolwich 724,270 York 704,007 Ystradgynlais 199,263 Source: Remploy management information.
[holding answer 1 May 2008]: The number of disabled people who have transferred from one Remploy factory to another is 185.
All disabled people eligible to apply for transfer (that is in the 11 Remploy merging sites) were given the opportunity to do so.