§ Mr. William Hamiltonasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take steps to ensure that the power of Her Majesty's Government in awarding contracts to privately-owned firms is used as an instrument to ensure maximum efficiency and satisfactory export performance by such firms.
§ Mr. DiamondThe Government aims to secure the best possible value for money in awarding contracts. We are examining means by which public procurement policies might be more effectively directed towards these purposes.