§ MR. R. ASCROFT (Oldham)I beg to ask the First Commissioner of Works (1) whether he is aware that local firms were not allowed to tender for the electrical installation recently put in the Oldham County Court offices; (2) whether there is any rule which prohibits fully qualified firms tendering for such work; and (3) whether he will consider the advisability of allowing all such firms in the future the opportunity of tendering for local work undertaken by the Board of Works?
§ THE FIRST COMMISSIONER OF WORKS (Mr. AKERS-DOUGLAS,) Kent, St. Augustine'sIn reply to my hon. Friend, I have to say that there is no rule that prohibits qualified firms tendering for the work to which the Question refers That in the present case the work had to be executed in a very short period of time, for departmental reasons, and tenders were obtained from two well-qualified firms, who could be relied upon to do the work in the time required. In reply to the latter portion of the Question I may say that, whenever circumstances permit, local firms are invited to tender for works in charge of the Board.