§ Mr. Eldon Griffithsasked the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has received from the Defence Manufacturers Association and the Society of British Aerospace Companies about the supply of scale and weighing machine equipment to domestic suppliers of military aerospace and other defence material; what steps he is taking to help prevent United Kingdom defence contractors becoming dependent on imports of such equipment; and if he has made any study of the effect on defence procurement of the current rapid contraction of the scale and weighing industry in the face of Japanese imports.
§ Mr. WigginDuring recent weeks the Ministry of Defence has received representations from the Defence Manufacturers Association on the penetration of the European weighing machine market by Japan. The general issue is the responsibility of the Secretary of State for Industry. So far as the Ministry of Defence is concerned, only limited purchases of weighing machines are made; and, subject to our international obligations, we do not purchase items of this nature from a foreign manufacturer unless they show a distinct advantage in terms of performance, delivery or price over the British product,