§ 67. Mr. Dempseyasked the Parliamentary Secretary for Science if the con- 112W tract for the building by the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research of the new nuclear reactor for the Impartial Defence College will be put out for competitive tender; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Denzil FreethCompetitive tendering will not be employed for the supply of a nuclear reactor to London University, to be operated by the Imperial College of Science and Technology. The decision to depart from the normal practice has been based on advice by two advisory committees on the ability of an existing specification to meet economically the requirements of the university. In these circumstances, having regard to the specialised nature of the product and to the fact that design and development work has been carried out jointly between the proposed manufacturer and the university, I am satisfied that competitive tendering would not be justified. The manufacturer was selected on the basis of competitive estimates supplied to the original specification.