§ Mr. Austin MitchellTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many contracts over £92,500 have been let by his Department in the 1988–89 financial year and in the current financial year to date; and how many of these were(a) automatically renewed and (b) open to competition through advertisement throughout the European Community.
§ Mr. EggarThe number of contracts awarded by the Department of Employment group and covered by the provisions of the European Economic Community supplies directive, for which the current threshold is £92,00, was 12 in the 1988–89 financial year and 14 in the current financial year to date. Of these, seven were awarded following advertisement in theOfficial Journal of the European Communities and 19 were considered to be exempt from advertising and may have been awarded to the previous supplier.