§ Q9. Mr. Ellisasked the Prime Minister if he will co-ordinate the work of all civil servants at present engaged in checking Government contracts in a new single Department with responsibility for all Government contracts in order to ensure efficient control of all public moneys expended and to obviate such cases as the repayment to Her Majesty's Government of £3.96 million by Bristol Siddeley Engines Ltd.
§ The Prime MinisterI think we should await the results of the inquiry announced by my hon. Friend the Minister of State. Ministry of Technology, on 5th April.—[Vol. 744, c. 256.]
§ Mr. EllisIs the Prime Minister aware that many of us who believe in the aircraft industry are conscious of the damage which has been done by the Bristol Siddeley affair? We believe in the aircraft industry, but it is important that it should be efficient, dynamic and give value for money. Will the Prime Minister make sure that in the contracting department 972 the Government are doing their job in this respect?
§ The Prime MinisterI agree with many of my hon. Friend's beliefs on this subject, but I do not have anything to add to the answers given by my hon. Friend the Minister of State last week. I think that we should leave it to the Committee which is now being appointed to do its job, and then we can draw lessons from its report on this or any other subject.
§ Mr. R. CarrDoes the Prime Minister agree that perhaps the most important measure required to ensure effective control of public moneys is to get ahead with the reform of the actual contracting procedures on the basis of the sort of proposals which the Government have had in their hands for more than two years from the Lang Committee.
§ The Prime MinisterI agree with the right hon. Gentleman, but I have nothing to add to what my hon. Friend said on that subject last week. I am sorry that right hon. Gentlemen's enthusiasm for dealing with over-payments started only when they got into opposition.
§ Mr. R. CarrIs not the Prime Minister aware that the Lang Committee, whose recommendations he inherited, was appointed by the Conservative Government?
§ The Prime MinisterAnd it certainly needed to be appointed by the Conservative Government in view of the disclosures of the Comptroller and Auditor General about the Ferranti case. For our part, having set up an inquiry, we are not attempting, as was done on that occasion, to try to block the Public Accounts Committee from discharging its responsibility. The right hon. Gentleman can claim credit for setting up the Lang Committee, but he must also claim credit for the Ferranti case which gave rise to it and other cases which have come to light since.
§ Mr. SpeakerThere is other business ahead.