HC Deb 19 June 1967 vol 748 c1094
5. Mrs. Renée Short

> asked the Minister of Public Building and Works if he will give Government contracts only to building and civil engineering companies whose boards contain an adequate number of professionally qualified engineers.

Mr. Prentice

No, Sir. I am satisfied that the present arrangements are adequate. Any firm may apply for inclusion in the approved list from which selections to tender for my Department's contracts are made. Before firms are put on this list, professionally qualified officers inspect their facilities and assess their capacity.

Mrs. Short

In view of the fact that the Government are now responsible for about 60 per cent. of all construction work carried out in this country and for 90 per cent. of the civil engineering work, and also bearing in mind the fact that this is a highly fragmented industry, does not he think that this would be a way of improving both administration and standards of work throughout the building and civil engineering industries? Will he reconsider the suggestion?

Mr. Prentice

I am glad to take up any suggestions to improve the efficiency of the industry, but I am not sure whether my hon. Friend's suggestion would contribute to that. Out of about 14,000 contracts that we place every year a great many are very small—of £1,000 or less—and it would be out of proportion to the size of the problem to insist on the conditions which my hon. Friend suggests.

Mr. Chichester-Clark

Would it not be unfortunate if the original Question were taken to imply that membership of the Institute of Building was not a qualification?

Mr. Prentice

This is a qualification and should be noted as such.