§ LORD WELLS-PESTELLasked Her Majesty's Government:
(1) How many computers have been purchased for use in Government Departments, and in organisations for which the Government is financially responsible; (2) how many are from British companies; (3) how many cost £40,000 or less.
EARL JELLICOEMy Lords, the available information is as follows:
Government Departments* Computers in use Number costing £40,000 or less Administrative and general purposes 120 (87) 10 Scientific and technical purposes 93 (60) 45 (22) Other Organisations† for which the Government is Financially Responsible‡ National Health Service 89 (38) 66 (22) Research Councils 55 (21) 41 (12) Notes: *As at December 31, 1971. These figures exclude: Computers in the Post Office and bodies which are not Central Government Departments, e.g. U.K. Atomic Energy Authority, Analog and hybrid computers, Computers costing less than £10,000, Computers used for control system purposes (process control, flight simulators, weapons systems and like purposes), Processor controlled keying systems used for the purpose of preparing data for input to computer systems. † Not including universities which are the responsibility of the Computers Board. ‡ As at mid-1971. These figures exclude: Analog and hybrid computers, Processor controlled keying systems used for the purpose of preparing data for input to computer systems, but include: Computers costing less than £10,000, Some computers used for control system purposes (e.g. on-line experiments). General:
The number of computers purchased from British Companies is shown in brackets. British companies in this context means U.K.-owned Companies as listed in the Memorandum by the 670WA Department of Trade and Industry to the Select Committee on Science and Technology (Sub-Committee A) in the Minutes of Evidence for February 10, 1971. This includes I.C.L., Ferranti, G.E.C., Computer Technology and Digico.
Rented computers have been included at a notional value representative of their purchase price.