“Fair crack of the whip” for Orkney firms

Orkney firms are to be given a “fair crack of the whip” when it comes to council works contracts.

That was the clear message from the council chamber yesterday when councillors at the OIC policy and resources committee meeting met to consider new arrangements for advertising and establishing award criteria for contracts.

Now councillors want to see works contracts — where the estimated value is above £50,000 but below £440,000 — advertised in the local newspaper only, when that is seen as “adequate publicity”.

They also recommended that where the estimated value of a works contract is above £440,000, it will be advertised on the Public Contracts Scotland website, the local newspaper and where necessary, the Official Journal of the European Union.