§ Mr. Leeasked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will make it the practice of his Department to place orders for goods with British firms operating in areas of high unemployment such as the West Midlands.
§ Mr. Gregor MackenzieNo. The primary objective of public purchasing must be to obtain the best value for money. My Department does, however, in common with other Government Departments, operate the contracts preference schemes for development areas.