To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether there has been any nugatory cost to (a) his Department and (b) its agencies arising from tendered procurement in circumstances where the tender process has been cancelled prior to the award of the contract in the last five years. (303713)

From best available records in the last five years the Home Department and its executive agencies have not incurred any nugatory bid costs from suppliers where tender processes have been cancelled prior to the award of contract. Nugatory costs for staff time and other associated costs are not recorded centrally and a search of individual records for any available information could be undertaken only at disproportionate cost.