Mr. Peter Smyth:

The information on finances and cost of bids would not have been in the process up to that point. In terms of the procurement process in general there is a selection process in that I am deciding whether the bidder has the capacity to do what I want to do. I will have questions in the process which determine whether the bidder has the capacity to do something. It then moves into an award process where I look at methodology and how the bidder will do something and I use that to decide. Selection is a pass-fail question. One bidder can pass with 100% and another might pass with 40%. The award questions consider how the bidder proposes to do this. When I sit down and test the methodology, I ask if I believe the bidder can deliver that. When I have assessed both I will consider cost information.