§ Mr. John Pageasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish the central computer and telecommunications agency list of selected suppliers of microcomputers for the last three years, showing the countries of origin against those selected and the number of British companies whose applications were rejected.
§ Mr. HayhoeThere have been two lists. The first list of selected suppliers for microcomputers was announced on 5 March 1981. A revised list was announced on 25 January 1983. It is difficult to express precisely the British content of any of the equipments offered by the contractors in the lists. Companies with a majority British shareholding are therefore shown as British. The information relevant to each list is as follows:
129W
Initial list 1981 Selected suppliers Company origin Apple Computer (UK) Ltd. American BMG Microsystems Ltd. British
Selected suppliers Company origin Casu Electronics Ltd. British Commodore Business Machines (UK) Ltd. American Equinox Computer Systems Ltd. British Modata Ltd. British Research Machines Ltd. British Thame Systems Ltd. British Wilkes Computing Ltd. British Revised list 1983 ACT (Sinus) Ltd. British Apple Computer (UK) Ltd. American Casu Electronics Ltd. British Comart Ltd. British Digital Equipment Co. Ltd. American Digital Microsystems Ltd. British Future Technology Systems Ltd. British ICL British Logica VTS Ltd. British Midlectron Ltd. British Torch Ltd. British Videcom Ltd. British Of the 58 companies which submitted proposals in response to the operational requirement in 1981, 47 were British, and of those seven were successful in gaining a contract. Of the 102 proposals received in response to the 1982–83 competition, 74 were British and of these 10 were successful.