§ 25. Mr. Parryasked the Secretary of State for Defence if, in allocating future defence equipment contracts, he will give special consideration to the claims of Cammell Laird Limited, Birkenhead, and CBS Engineering Limited, Liverpool, and the need to stimulate employment on Merseyside.
§ Mr. SpeedIn placing defence equipment contracts, the Ministry of Defence takes all the relevant factors fully into account, including shipbuilder capacity and regional and industrial considerations. It would not be right to give preferential consideration to any particular contractor. The Laird group has now announced the closure of CBS Engineering Limited within the next three weeks.