§ Mr. Chichester-Clarkasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what action he proposes to take to ensure that public authorities properly pre-plan jobs which they let on firm price tenders, that they accept tenders quickly and that they pay their accounts promptly; and what machinery is available to him to supervise public authorities in this regard.
§ Mr. AmeryAll Government Departments and local authorities have in the 187W past six months been reminded of the special importance of observing the prerequisites of the firm price tendering policy. I have no means of supervising these aspects of the tendering practices of public authorities; but I trust that they will give due weight to the guidance they have been given.