§ Mr. Spearingasked the Secretary of State for Industry what was the cost to the Government—exclusive of printing—of the recent report on the United Kingdom ship repair industry by PA Management Consultants Ltd.; when the report was commissioned; what bodies were consulted about the terms of reference; and what, if any, additional information has been collected by the consultants and made available to him, other than material contained in the report.
§ Mr. MeacherThe cost of the ship repair report is a commercial matter which is still under negotiation, but when it is settled we will report to the House. The report was commissioned in February 1973 after the unions and representatives of the employers were advised of the proposed terms of reference and given oportunity for discussions on the scope of the study. The consultants made available to the Department some material which has been omitted from the published report. Much of this was supplied to them in confidence.