§ Mr. Hoyleasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what are the criteria on which the Government award contracts; if these are identical to those laid down in EEC Council directive 77/62 ; if they have been modified by the directive ; and, where contracts are not subject to the directive's provisions, if they are awarded on criteria which would satisfy its terms.
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§ Mr. Joel Barnett:The central criterion on which Government contracts are awarded is that of best value for money. Since this is effectively the criterion on which EEC directive 77/62 is based, no modification has been necessary. The only exception to the value for money criterion concerns the purchase of large computers which the Government obtain from ICL where that firm can satisfactorily meet the requirement: these are anyway exempt from the provisions of the directive until 1st January 1981.