Government expected to select consultant to take on national roll-out of quality mark scheme in September.
The Government has drawn up a shortlist of four consultancies to take over its anti-cowboy builder initiative.

The firm chosen will oversee the introduction of the quality mark scheme nationally and will also consider how it should be funded after the government withdraws support in 2004.

The DTI has confirmed that Capita, the outsourcing company that runs the quality mark website and inquiry line, is not on the shortlist.

The government now has has a total of 203 quality-marked contractors in the four areas in which it has already been introduced. It is understood that the scheme will be introduced in another 10 areas this year.

The government is looking for a way out. With a good business plan it will have one

Whitehall source

These areas include Warwickshire, Coventry, Solihull, Leicester, East Midlands, Leeds, east Kent, Middlesborough, Bournemouth and Greater Manchester. A Whitehall source said the government wants to withdraw from the scheme quickly and hand it over to industry bodies and a private operator.

He said it was likely that the firm selected would be confirmed at the next meeting of the joint government鈥搃ndustry ownership body in September. The source said: "The government is looking for a way out and as soon as a successful business plan is produced it will have one. It is incredible that by September it will be nearly six months since the scheme was launched nationally, and yet there will still be no proper plan."

He added that within the DTI it was felt that the firm selected to draw up the initial business plan would continue to run the scheme as soon as the government withdrew support.

A DTI spokesperson said the external firm would look at the scheme's future strategic direction.