§ Mr. Gordon Brownasked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list for the current year and for each year since 1965 the total sums paid by his Department to (a) United Scientific Holdings Ltd. and (b) Avimo Ltd.
§ Mr. LeeFor reasons of commercial confidentiality, it is not the practice to give precise details of the amount spent by the Ministry of Defence with particular companies in particular years.
Included within United Scientific Holdings Ltd. are Helio Millor Co. Ltd., United Scientific Instruments Ltd., Fidelity Instrument Co. Ltd. and, from 1981–82, Alvis Ltd. Avimo Ltd. is also part of the United Scientific Holdings Ltd. group. Information on payments is available only for years from 1973. During this period Avimo Ltd. was paid under £5 million in each year up to 1982–83. United Scientific Holdings Ltd. received under £5 million in each year from 1973–74 to 1980–81. In 1981–82 and 1982–83 (after it had taken over Alvis Ltd. from British Leyland) expenditure with it was in the bracket £25 million and £50 million.