§ Mr. Urwinasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will ensure that future allocation of building contracts by his Department will be restricted to firms included in the voluntary register of the fair list of contractors.
§ Mr. FreesonNo. It would be too restrictive to limit selection for the large variety of work undertaken by my Department to those firms which have registered under the voluntary scheme of the National Joint Council for the Building Industry.
§ Mr. Urwinasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what evidence he has accumulated, arising from allocation of building contracts by his Department, of the transfer by operatives from direct employment to labour-only sub-contracting, involving the use of income tax exemption certificates; whether such transfers have been approved by his Department; and if he will make a statement.
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§ Mr. FreesonNo evidence arises from the allocation of contracts about transfer by operatives to labour-only subcontracting, and such transfers do not have to be approved by my Department.
§ Mr. Urwinasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he is satisfied that all building contracts are allocated by his Department in accordance with the declaration of intent in the working rules of the National Joint Council for the Building Industry.
§ Mr. FreesonI am satisfied that the Property Services Agency in letting contract takes full account of the declaration of intent. Where appropriate the agency may arrange for a job to be done by a self-employed tradesman. A contractor employed by the agency who intends to sublet to a labour-only subcontractor is asked to give an assurance that the proposed employment is in accordance with the declaration of intent. Occasionally a contractor may have to resort to using labour not in direct employment to complete his contract.