§ 59. Mr. PYBUSasked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury if any form of Treasury control is in existence to ensure that the prices paid by Government Departments for proprietary articles or articles for which it is only possible to secure one tender are fair and include only a reasonable profit?
§ The FINANCIAL SECRETARY to the TREASURY (Mr. Pethick-Lawrence)The duty of ensuring that the prices paid for such articles are reasonable rests with the buying department as part of its normal administrative responsibility.
§ Mr. PYBUSIs the hon. Gentleman aware that a coating department was set up specifically to deal with contracts in which only one tender is possible, and can he assure us that the Government and all Government Departments are using this department in order to save the taxpayers' money?
§ Mr. PETHICK-LAWRENCEI will look into that matter and perhaps the hon. Gentleman will put down a separate question on the point.