§ Mr. Garro Jonesasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether there is any restriction upon Government contractors, express or implied, against publishing the prices at which they sell to Government Departments, or disclosing to co-tenderers the amount of their tender?
1976W
§ Sir J. SimonThe answer is in the negative.
§ Mr. Garro Jonesasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether it is the rule of all Government Departments never to publish to the House any contract prices, even in a case in which the circumstances indicate that the public interest would not suffer thereby, or whether the question of publishing to the House the prices paid to Government contractors is still one to be decided in any given case by the Department concerned?
§ Sir J. SimonIt has been a long-standing practice to regard contract prices as confidential. The answer to the first part of the question is therefore in the affirmative, and the second does not arise.