§ Mr. Gryllsasked the Prime Minister if she is satisfied that all Government Departments are giving small and medium sized firms a sufficiently large share of public contracts.
§ The Prime MinisterGovernment Departments award contracts on the basis of merit, not company size. However, I would like to see as many contracts as possible awarded to small and medium sized firms on that basis. My hon. Friend, the then Under-Secretary of State for Industry, annouced on 26 November 1982 measures to improve the opportunities for small and medium sized firms to tender for Government contracts. In addition to those measures, qualification procedures are being simplified and further measures are under consideration.