§ 27. Sir D. Robertsonasked the Secretary of State for Scotland why the Northern Regional Hospitals Board has already engaged a building contractor to build the projected Caithness Hospital which is still on the drawing board and before approved plans, specification of works and quantities have been prepared and completed.
§ The Under-Secretary of State for Scotland (Mr. R. Brooman-White)No building contractor has been engaged for this project.
§ Sir D. RobertsonIs the hon. Gentleman aware that I have in my hand a letter from the Secretary of State stating that a building contractor has been engaged without any competition at all? How can the hon. Gentleman possibly reconcile the Answer that he has given me with that letter?
§ Mr. Brooman-WhiteThe information that I have before me at the moment—I will certainly check the hon. Gentleman's point—is that no building contractor has yet been engaged and that the normal procedure will be followed of putting this out to tender before any building contractor is engaged.