§ Mr. Strawasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer which Departments maintain approved lists of contractors or suppliers; how many firms appear on each approved list maintained by each Department; which firms appear on each approved list maintained by each Department; what policy each Department pursues in relation to the frequency with which it reviews its approved lists and in respect of admissions to or exclusions from the lists.
§ Mr. BrookeAll major purchasing Departments maintain approved lists of contractors or suppliers. No records are kept centrally, and policy in respect of frequency of review and admissions to and exclusions from the lists are matters for individual Departments. There is, however, a standard list of questions dealing with financial and general information.
§ Mr. Strawasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the 1,000 largest public supply contracts entered into by all nationalised industries where the contract was entered into with a private sector organisation, in the last five years for which figures are available, naming in each case the Government Department and the private sector concern, as well as the nature of the product or service supplied.
§ Mr. BrookeThis information is not held centrally. Purchasing by nationalised industries is a matter for the industries themselves.
§ Mr. Strawasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the 1,000 largest public supply contracts entered
£ million Department 1983 1983 1984 1984 Total Percentage Overseas* Total Percentage Overseas* Ministry of Defence 7,897 6.8 8,351 5.4 Crown Suppliers 353 2.9 358 2.0 Central Computer and Telecommunications Agency 204 36.7 227 25.8 Her Majesty's Stationery Office 212 20.2 187 18.0 Northern Ireland Departments 57 3.1 107 2.0 Home Office 76 7.4 107 5.0 Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food 93 0.8 95 1.1 Department of Transport 62 1.2 88 1.0 Department of National Savings 65 — 76 — Inland Revenue 67 — 64 — Scottish Office 59 14.2 61 15.5 Department of Health and Social Security 43 5.6 51 2.2 Department of Trade and Industry 65 74.2 48 50.0 Central Office of Information 40 0.5 46 1.4 Royal Mint 30 7.8 44 9.8 Welsh Office 31 9.0 42 5.4 Intervention Board for Agricultural Produce 41 — 39 — Customs and Excise 2 30.9 37 0.5 Department of Environment 22 2.3 30 1.7 Foreign and Commonwealth Office 20 7.5 24 3.8 Overseas Development Administration 20 25.6 21 4.5 Department of Energy 48 1.5 18 0.4 Department of Employment 3 — 3 — Others 2 — 4 — Totals 9,472 7.9 10,128 5.9 * Overseas purchases are those made abroad, or from agents in the United Kingdom; or where most of the content is known to be foreign.