§ Mr. Cyril Smithasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will seek to obtain and publish statistics of the number of cash registers purchased in 526W 1979–80 by local education authorities and of the number of those purchased which were of British manufacture.
§ Dr. BoysonNo. Local authorities are free to make their own purchasing decisions as they see fit, bearing in mind the need to secure the best possible value for money.
§ Mr. Cyril Smithasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will issue a circular to local education authorities advising them that they should, wherever possible, buy British-made goods.
§ Dr. BoysonNo. Local authorities are generally free to determine their own purchasing policies and the Government have no power to intervene in their choice of goods. Local authorities must always be ready to justify their purchasing decisions and the Government hope that they do in fact buy British products wherever possible.