§ Mr. G. R. Howardasked the Secretary of State for Defence to what extent Ferranti Ltd. are a major supplier of electronic equipment to the Royal Navy; what types of equipment they have supplied; and whether the contracts awarded were put to open tender.
§ Mr. HayFerranti Ltd. have developed and supplied a number of special types of electronic equipment for the Royal Navy. It would be contrary to long-standing practice to publish details of the individual equipments supplied.
Owing to the specialised nature of the requirements, it was not possible to invite competitive tenders for any of the major equipments involved.