HC Deb 15 May 1969 vol 783 cc1622-3
35. Mr. William Hamilton

asked the Postmaster-General what was the total value of contracts placed by his Department in Scotland in each of the last 10 years; and what were the comparable figures for Fife.

Mr. Joseph Slater

Records do not go back beyond October 1961. Separate information for Fife is not available but I will circulate in the OFFICIAL REPORT details of the value of contracts placed in Scotland.

Mr. Hamilton

Can my hon. Friend say what proportion of the Post Office telephone exchange equipment is manufactured in development areas, and in which factories in Scotland is it manufactured? Will he say what steps are being taken to encourage the contractors in the bulk supply agreements to produce in the development areas?

Mr. Slater

Contractors which are parties to the bulk supply agreements have been encouraged to produce as much equipment as possible in development areas, including Scotland. We estimate that about 70 per cent. of our exchange equipment is manufactured in development areas. There are three factories making exchange equipment in Scotland, at East Kilbride, Glenrothes and Kirkcaldy, in Fife.

Mr. Stratton Mills

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. In reply to Question No. 20 dealing with the Giro, the Postmaster-General said that there was another Question on the Order Paper relating to this. There is no such Question, either Oral or Written. Can we have protection?

Mr. Speaker

Order. Perhaps the hon. Gentleman would raise this at the end of Question Time. I cannot give the hon. Gentleman protection against what the Minister says.

Following is the information:

Value of contracts directly placed in Scotland by the Post Office
Year £
1st October, 1961—31st March, 1962—(½ year only) 1,578,000
1962–63 2,323,000
1963–64 4,128,000
1964–65 3,746,000
1965–66 4,387,000
1966–67 4,620,000
1967–68 4,535,000
1968–69 (estimated) 6,000,000

These figures exclude the substantial orders placed under the Telephone Exchange Equipment Bulk Supply Agreement and the Telephone Apparatus Agreement, for which a geographical breakdown is not available.