§ Mr. Gryllsasked the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of the total procurement contracts awarded by his Department in the last year have gone to small firms.
§ Mr. ButlerThe information available indicates that the proportions, by value, of the total procurement expenditure by my Department directly with small firms in the financial year 1983–84 (the only year for which information is at present available) were as follows:
Firms with up to 50 employees—approximately 4 per cent.
Non-industrial Industrial MOD Police Total 1 April 1979 14,591 13,155½ — 27,746½ 1 April 1980 14,447½ 12,737 — 27,184½ 1 April 1981 13,471½ 12,228 — 25,699½ 1 April 1982 12,739 11,773 — 24,512 1 April 1983 12,487½ 10,887½ — 23,375 1 April 1984 12,123½ 10,349 576 23,048½ 1 April 1985 11,194½ 9,370½ 589 21,154 Note: Before 1 April 1984 MOD police numbers were not attributed to the research establishments.