§ Mr. Marplesasked the Minister of Technology what is the present size of stocks of tyres held by his Department, expressed both in numbers of tyres and total money value of tyres.
§ Mr. BennI regret that the information is not readily available and to obtain it would involve a disproportionate amount of time and effort.
§ Mr. Marplesasked the Minister of Technology from how many different manufacturers his Department is buying tyres; and if he will give the total value of foreign made tyres bought by his Department during the most recent convenient year.
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§ Mr. BennMy Department is buying aircraft tyres from three different manufacturers. We do not normally buy foreign made tyres but exceptionally in 1969 one manufacturer has had to import tyres to the value of £9,000 to meet an urgent requirement.
§ Mr. Marplesasked the Minister of Technology with how many contractors and to what total value he has contracts for the supply of tyres for periods exceeding three years from the beginning of the current financial year.
§ Mr. Marplesasked the Minister of Technology what is the number of diffierent tyre sizes currently in use on vehicles run by his Department, and the proportion of total tyres bought during the most recent convenient year, represented by the 10 most commonly used tyre sizes.
§ Mr. BennI regret that the information is not readily available and to obtain it it would involve a disproportionate amount of time and effort.
§ Mr. Marplesasked the Minister of Technology if he will give the total expenditure of his Department on tyres during the most convenient recent year, together with the total number of tyres bought during that year; and if he will indicate the breakdown between those bought directly by his own Department and those bought on his behalf by other Departments, showing a breakdown of those other Departments.
§ Mr. BennIn 1968 my Department ordered 39,611 aircraft tyres at a total cost of £849,215. Vehicle tyres were bought on behalf of my Department by the Ministry of Defence and were included in the answer given in reply to a Question by the right hon. Member on 14th July.—[Vol. 787, c.30.]
§ Mr. Marplesasked the Minister of Technology for how many years ahead his Department has contracts for the supply of tyres.
§ Mr. Marplesasked the Minister of Technology what plans he has to reduce the number of tyre sizes and types currently in use by his Department.
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§ Mr. BennThe only tyres procured by my Department are those for aircraft. Attempts have been made in the past to reduce the number of aircraft tyre sizes and types but these have been unsuccessful because it has been found to be important to overall aircraft efficiency to have the freedom if necessary to fit a special-to-type design.
As regard vehicle tyres used in my Department but procured by the Ministry of Defence, the number of types required is determined by the range of vehicles held. It is the policy to gradually standardise the types of vehicles used and, thus, to reduce the variety of tyres needed.
§ Mr. Marplesasked the Minister of Technology whether his Department buys retreaded or remoulded tyres; and what proportion of the total tyres procured in the most recent convenient year these represented.
§ Mr. BennMy Department does not buy retreaded or remoulded tyres but in 1968 it returned 4,470 used aircraft tyres to the makers for retread or remould and re-issue to the Services. In the same year it bought 39,611 new aircraft tyres.
§ Mr. Martenasked the Minister of Technology what are the criteria employed in the replacement of tyres used by his Department, expressed in terms of mileage, time or wear.
§ Mr. BennThe criterion used is wear as defined in the regulations of Statutory Instrument 1969 No. 321, Road Traffic, The Motor Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1969, Regulation No. 83.