Hillingdon Primary Care Trust: Procurement

Mr. Lansley
To ask the Secretary of State for Health when, and on what terms he permitted Hillingdon Primary Care Trust to access the suppliers under the Framework for External Support for Commissioning.

Mr. Bradshaw
Hillingdon Primary Care Trust (PCT) issued tender documentation to a range of relevant suppliers on 2 June 2007 following approval by the PCT board. The PCT has been in discussion with the Department regarding the strengthening of its commissioning functions as part of its organisational recovery programme and the PCT is piloting the Framework for procuring External Support for Commissioners, which was available to PCTs from 31 May 2007.