§ Mr. Clark Hutchisonasked the Postmaster-General what was the value in £ sterling of contracts for Post Office equipment, including clothing, placed with British firms in the last financial year; and what percentage of this sum was with Scottish based firms.
§ Mr. Edward ShortIn 1966–67 the value of the stores (including clothing) contracts placed by the Post Office with British firms totalled £97,986,000. Of this total, contracts for £5,782,000 (6 per cent.) were placed in Scotland.
In addition, our major plant suppliers have seven factories in the Scottish Development Area, but we do not know what proportion of our increasing orders 94W for the supply and installation of plant was manufactured in them. Nationally, however, we estimate that over 40 per cent. of these orders—worth some £50 million a year at present—are carried out in the Development Areas.