The Construction Industry Council has criticised the Royal Bank of Scotland for using online bidding to tender services.
The bank is the latest client to sign up to the electronic system by which contractors bid online in an auction to win a contract.

Graham Watts, chief executive of the CIC, said the construction industry was striving to gain acceptance of the principle that tendering should be based first upon quality and then price. He said: " It is worrying that in the Royal Bank of Scotland, a leading client is going down the Dutch auction route and against best practice procurement." He said the situation would need to be monitored.

Watts, chairman of the public procurement of professional services panel, added that the trend for online bidding would lead to a decline in the quality of professional services.

He said: "I see no benefit in the use of online bidding for professional services and there is clearly a potential for bidders who are hungry for work to bid rates which will not enable them to provide a good service."