§ Mr. Masonasked the Postmaster-General if he will publish a list of the firms to which he allocated contracts in 1963–64 for cable, loading coils, telephone apparatus and exchange equipment, respectively; and what was the value of the respective contracts with the respective firms.
§ Mr. MawbyThe list below shows the value of contracts exceeding £1,000 for items covered by the telephone apparatus and exchange equipment bulk supply agreements its and for the types of cable and loading coils formerly covered by bulk supply agreements. In order 141W not to disclose the results of competitive tendering, the value of the contracts placed under the reservation clauses is shown in terms of the agreement prices rather than prices actually paid.
£'000 Cable Telephone Cables Ltd. 3,949 Standard Telephones and Cables Ltd. 2,532 British Insulated Callender's Cables Ltd. 2,396 Pirelli-General Cable Works Ltd. 1,390 Connollys (Blackley) Ltd. 780 Hackbridge Cable Co. Ltd. 576 Loading Coils Standard Telephones and Cables Ltd. 226 Salford Electric Instruments Ltd. 199 Associated Electrical Industries Ltd. 129 Telephone Apparatus The General Electric Co. Ltd. 1,649 The Plessey Co. (U.K.) Ltd. 1,532 Automatic Telephone and Electric Co. Ltd. 1,478 Phoenix Telephone Ltd. 1,475 Standard Telephones and Cables Ltd. 1,460 Associated Electrical Industries Ltd. 1,435 Telephone Manufacturing Co. Ltd. 1,332 Ericsson Telephones Ltd. 1,070 Pye Telecommunications Ltd. 894 Associated Automation Ltd. 501 EMI Electronics Ltd. 394 Whiteley Electrical Radio Co. Ltd. 176 The Telephone Supplies Ltd. 161 S. Smith & Sons (England) Ltd. 112 Airdrie Electronics Ltd. 50 Astralux Ltd. 43 Speke Telephones Ltd. 12 Burgess Products Ltd. 10 Labgear Ltd. 4 Exchange Equipment The General Electric Co. Ltd. 6,199 Ericsson Telephones Ltd. 5,940 Standard Telephones and Cables Ltd. 5,906 Automatic Telephone and Electric Co. Ltd. 5,236 Associated Electrical Industries Ltd. 4,274 Kolster-Brandes (N. Ireland) Ltd. 181 Telephone Manufacturing Co. Ltd. 114 Speke Telephones Ltd. 20 Fraser and Grass Ltd. 4 Litholite Insulators Ltd. 3
§ Mr. Masonasked the Postmaster-General whether, in the light of the Public Accounts Committee's Report on Guided Weapons Contracts placed by the Ministry of Aviation with Ferranti Ltd., he is still satisfied that the method of fixing prices under the bulk purchase agreements is in the best interests of the Post Office; and whether he will make a statement.
142W
§ Mr. MawbyThe bulk supply agreements differ widely, as regards the method of fixing prices, from the purchasing arrangements which formed the subject of the Committee's Report. My right hon. Friend has no present plans for any change.