§ Mr. Gryllsasked the Secretary of State for Energy what proportion of the purchasing contracts issued by his Department in 1978–79 was by means of (a) selective tender, (b) open tender and (c) single tender.
§ Mr. John MooreI regret that the information requested is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
104Woffice and the official regulations under which permission for surveying was granted; and if he will also list the financial assistance being given to all such companies and the relevant United Kingdom regulations under which such companies operate.
§ Mr. Norman LamontThere is no statutory requirement on companies to inform my Department of uranium exploration activities they may undertake in the United Kingdom. Where such exploration for minerals involves development, as defined in section 22 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1971, prior planning permission is required to be obtained from the local planning authority. Planning permission applications need not be specific to a particuar mineral, so it would not necessarily be clear from applications whether uranium was among the minerals being sought.
No financial assistance is being provided directly by the United Kingdom Government in support of uranium exploration in the United Kingdom. The EEC Commission is providing support, from the Community budget, for uranium exploration in community countries under the powers provided in article 70 of the Euratom treaty. Under this scheme the following organisations have been selected to receive support for exploration in the United Kingdom: