Another flagrant breach of the rules by Sunderland City Council

Newcastle Journal
Thursday, June 22, 2006

Today’s Journal reported the scandal of the mismanagement of yet another of Sunderland City Council contracts.
Further to this report below, it is the Corporate Hospitality tent where the Councillors drown themselves in free beer...no wonder the bill is £30,000! Oh, and don't forget, while the Councillors slosh down the brown stuff the rest of the public are forced to watch the show in the Sea Front's Alcohol Free Zone.
No investigation. No punishment, just lame excuses again.
Many have claimed that this council couldn't run a p*** up in a brewery. I believe that this is the only thing they could run! The contract however, might be on a nod and a wink tho'
Going to be interesting, with only 5 weeks to go how contracts can be checked and approved.
Might end up with the Airshow Caterers serving nothing fancy ...just beer and plane crisps.

CONTRACTS AT AIR SHOW BROKE RULES
Council did not tender properly for lucrative deals
By Ross Smith, Regional Affairs Correspondent

Lucrative contracts for catering at the prestigious Sunderland International Airshow were handed out in breach of council rules, a civic centre chief admitted yesterday.

Sunderland Council paid nearly £30,000 to a local firm to cater for the event over the past two years. But chief executive, Ged Fitzgerald has admitted that the council broke its own rules by not getting four competitive quotes for either of the contracts.

In a letter to independent councillor Mike Tansey, who has probed the contracts, Mr Fitzgerald wrote:
“The hospitality catering for the 2004 and 2005 Airshows were not procured in accordance with the requirements of the council’s contract procedure rules, in so far as the reasons for not seeking other quotes were not formally and appropriately documented and certified.“In the circumstances, I have instructed the officers concerned to ensure this year’s contract is the subject of competitive quotations.”

The contracts, which were given to Boldon Farmhouse Pantry, were for corporate hospitality. There is no suggestion that the firm itself did anything wrong.

An advert for tenders for this year’s contract was placed this week, just over five weeks ahead of the event on July 29 and 30.

Coun Tansey said yesterday;
“The leader of the council is running round France and the USA this month trying to forge business links, when the council he runs has denied small catering businesses in Sunderland the opportunity of quoting for tenders that are pretty lucrative to small companies.“If he’s so concerned about business in Sunderland he should be looking after the interests of the small businesses who pay rates in the city. Charity begins at home.“It’s the role of the leader and cabinet to ensure they run the city in accordance with the constitution.”

Sunderland Council said last night the sums involved were small compared to the £12m the airshow brings into the local economy.