§ Mr. Gryllsasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what arrangements there are in his Department to ensure that the Government's policy towards small firms is furthered through the procurement policy of his Department so that small businesses receive a proportion of all purchasing contracts issued by his Department; and what proportion he expects this will be in 1982–83.
§ Mr. HurdIn common with all Government Departments the Foreign and Commonwealth Office selects its suppliers, irrespective of size, on the basis of their commercial merit. It does not keep records about their size and is therefore unable to estimate the proportion of business that will go to small firms in 1982–83.
New procedures to help small firms have recently been announced and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office expects to apply them.