AQW 8684/11-15

Mr Stewart Dickson
Alliance Party
East Antrim

Tabled Date: 22/02/2012
Answered On Date: 02/04/2012
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of the Environment to detail the district councils that (i) tender; and (ii) do not tender for legal services.

Answer:

The information requested is provided in the attached table.

Tender	Do not tender
Antrim Borough Council	Ballymoney Borough Council
Ards Borough Council	Banbridge District Council *
Armagh City and District Council	Belfast City Council^
Ballymena Borough Council	Carrickfergus Borough Council
Cookstown District Council	Castlereagh Borough Council
Craigavon Borough Council	Coleraine Borough Council *
Lisburn City Council	Derry City Council
Newtownabbey Borough Council	Down District Council^
North Down Borough Council	Dungannon and South Tyrone Borough Council
	Fermanagh District Council *
	Larne Borough Council
	Limavady Borough Council
	Magherafelt District Council
	Moyle District Council
	Newry & Mourne District Council**
	Omagh District Council
	Strabane District Council

^Please note Belfast City Council has its own in-house legal department and therefore does not need to tender. Down District Council also uses this legal facility.

* reported that although they do not formally tender they seek competition from a formal approved panel of solicitors.

** reported that it does tender for HR legal services.

I have asked for further information on this issue which may raise questions.