Agenda item

Councillor Paul Rochford, Cabinet Member for Children and Learning, introduced the report

The report explained that the contract for the supply of Fresh Fruit and Vegetables was a framework contract with members of the London Contracts Supplies Group (LCSG), which includes representatives of all London Boroughs. LCSG sought to obtain the best value for the supply of various goods and services.

It was noted that there was no existing contract for the supply of fresh fruit and vegetables as the previous supplier had withdrawn from the contract.

Reasons for the decision:

To ensure that the London Borough of Havering and other members of the LCSG have cost effective and value for money contracts awarded for the purchase of Fresh fruit and Vegetables for the period 1 January 2012 until 31 December 2015.

Other options considered:

            Each Council department entered into individual arrangements with suppliers. Framework contracts provided a framework for fixed costs and agreed levels of service.

Service users sourced their own Fresh Fruit and Vegetables in the wider marketplace. This would create a situation whereby the less reputable companies in this market would be provided with an opportunity to sell to Havering and/or the LCSG. There were a number of companies that approached Councils to provide various catering contracts but past experiences had shown that the true cost of sourcing such contracts via this route was more expensive than a framework contract.  

There was no contract in place for Fresh Fruit and Vegetables due to the previous contractor pulling out. A contract needed to be in place to ensure value for money when purchasing this item.

Cabinet AGREED:

1.         To authorise the award of the contract for the provision of Fresh Fruit and Vegetables.