HC Deb 11 January 1978 vol 941 cc1658-9
15. Mr. Marten

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many notices of public works contracts and licences, advertised in the EEC Official Journal in accordance with EEC directives, have been published by British local authorities; and how many have been accepted by non-British contractors in other EEC countries.

Mr. Shore

Up to 30 November 1977, 2,742 public works contracts had been advertised in the Official Journal of the EEC by local authorities in the United Kingdom. As far as I am aware, none of these has been placed with a contractor based in an EEC country other than the United Kingdom.

Mr. Marten

What, then, is the point of continuing with this bureaucratic bumbledom?

Mr. Shore

This is an arrangement that was not exactly introduced by myself, as the hon. Gentleman is well aware. I assume that United Kingdom public works contractors may have the opportunity of contracting for work in other European countries, just as they have here.

Mr. Tomney

Is my right hon. Friend aware that Texaco Limited has just placed an order with a Spanish company for an oil refinery at Milford Haven?

Mr. Shore

I am not aware of the details of what my hon. Friend has just stated, but I shall willingly look at the matter. However, the Question is directed to the subject of local authorities.

Mr. Costain

Does not the answer prove that Continental contractors see how many British contractors go bankrupt and have no desire to work in this country?

Mr. Shore

What a miserable view the hon. Gentleman takes. It is disgraceful. If the figures mean anything, and if I had to put an interpretation on them, I would say that they show that British local authorities, when they have rival bids put to them, have tended to choose British contractors. That, no doubt, reflects the admirable work of British contractors.

Mr. Heseltine

Presumably the right hon. Gentleman would agree that, since exactly the same system operates throughout the Common Market, our excellent contractors would do extremely well on the Continent of Europe.

Mr. Shore

I should have to look up the details of that, but I shall willingly look into it for the hon. Gentleman.