§ 4. Mr. Dalyellasked the Postmaster-General what general considerations guide him in placing contracts in development areas.
§ The Assistant Postmaster-General (Mr. Joseph Slater)That we should give suppliers in development areas preference over others, consistently with our paying no more in total for what we buy.
§ Mr. DalyellIs there not more scope for relating the considerable purchasing power of the Post Office to the Government's medium-term regional development policy?
§ Mr. SlaterThe recent extension of the old development district preference scheme to the much bigger development areas is itself a step in that direction, but I cannot see any scope for a further widening of that kind of preference.