§ Mr. Thompsonasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what has been the value of orders placed by the Scottish Home and Health Department with firms resident in Scotland through the general and special preference schemes in each of the years 1970 to 1976.
§ Mr. Harry EwingThe information is not available in the form requested, but in the financial years 1970–71 to 1975–76 693W contracts were placed by the Scottish Home and Health Department with firms in Scotland under the general preference scheme or under normal commercial conditions as follows:
None was placed under the special preference scheme.
Year Total Value £000 1970–71 … … … 721 1971–72 … … … 590 1972–73 … … … 551 1973–74 … … … 1,787 1974–75 … … … 408 1975–76 … … … 526 The 1973–74 figure includes a coal contract for the National Health Service negotiated that year with the National Coal Board. Responsibility for those National Health Service contracts let centrally by the Scottish Home and Health Department was transferred to the Common Services Agency for the Scottish Health Service on National Health Service reorganisation in 1974. All contracts for the National Health Service are now let centrally by other Government Departments, by the Common Services Agency or by the health boards.