§ 33. Dr. Glynasked the Lord President of the Council how many British tenders were requested before the order was given for House of Commons china; and whether tenders were asked from countries other than Germany.
§ Mr. DunnI have been asked to reply.
Inquiries were made to operative prices from the following suppliers: Royal Tuscan, better known as Wedgwood; and Dunn Bennett and Co., which is part of the Royal Doulton group.
The only other firm approached was Rosenthal of West Germany.
§ Dr. GlynIs the hon. Gentleman aware that this is a House of Commons matter? Which other hon. Members endorsed the decision? Is the hon. Gentleman aware of the great public interest in this matter and the possible effect of the decision on our exports? Is it not possible to have a system whereby crockery is ordered in stages rather than all at once? As the Lord President is present, will he say whether he will consider the setting up of a Committee to look into the whole matter, so that it can be cleared up once and for all?
§ Mr. DunnTo take the last matter first, a special committee has already been set up to inquire into and recommend to the House on the future and the re-organisation of the Refreshment Department. The hon. Gentleman will be aware that the responsibility for purchasing all the requirements of the Department rests upon the management, and because the situation has never been clearly defined some problems have arisen. I would prefer a proper tendering system in which specifications were issued, quotations requested and tenders received, tabulated and opened independently. The recommendation could then be made to the appropriate Officers of the House. We do not have the specialised staff or the accommodation to enable us to undertake that at present.
§ Mr. Arthur LewisIs my hon. Friend able to confirm a Press report that the contract was for £20, 000 and that £300 was saved? If so, was the £20, 000 paid in hard currency and was the saving made in soft currency? If so, was it a saving?
§ Mr. DunnThe purchase was for £12, 200, which was paid in sterling. There was no problem over conversion.
§ Mr. ThorpeMay we know why only two British firms were asked to tender? Were those responsible unaware of the existence of others?
§ Mr. DunnThey were not asked to tender in that way. The management made inquiries as to operative prices. These were tabulated and a cost analysis was undertaken and presented. I can give the figures if the right hon. Gentleman so requires. On the basis of the first assessment these figures would have meant, for Royal Tuscan Wedgwood, £14, 197 and for Rosenthal, £12, 579. Taking into account the discount systems which are operative, and applying the highest discount system, the Royal Tuscan figure came out at £12, 423 and the Rosenthal at £12, 201.63.
§ Dr. GlynOn a point of order, Mr. Speaker. As this is a House of Commons matter would it be within your discretion to allow the Lord President to say something on the last part of my supplementary question?
Mr. ShortI am not sure what the hon. Gentleman meant by his question, but if it will help the House I shall ensure that a report on this matter from the Services Committee is presented to the House.