Mr. Edward M. Taylorasked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will advise local authorities in Scotland to seek the approval of his Department in all cases where the lowest offers for open competitive contract tenders are not accepted
(2) if he will introduce legislation to require local authorities to advise unsuccessful tenderers for open competitive contracts of the reasons which prompted their decisions in cases where the lowest tender for such contracts is not accepted.
§ Mr. RossIn a circular issued last month to local authorities on contracting procedures for building work I reiterated an earlier recommendation that they should use selective tendering as widely as possible, and said that, where an authority had so proceeded, the lowest tender should almost invariably be accepted. I added that if, in an exceptional case, the authority wished to accept a tender other than the lowest it should at once furnish a full statement of its reasons to the appropriate Government Department before being committed to passing over the lowest tender. I have no proposals for legislation on this matter.