HC Deb 24 July 1985 vol 83 cc613-4W
Mr. Jessel

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will now provide the British Oxygen Company with copies of the consultants' reports which his Department obtained on the pricing of medical gases and domiciliary oxygen, which were referred to in the twelfth report of the Committee of Public Accounts, House of Commons paper No. 67 Session 1984–85.

Mr. Kenneth Clarke

I understand that the British Oxygen Company wish to have copies of the reports to enable them to respond to criticisms made of them by the hon. Member for Workington concerning the accuracy of evidence submitted by the company to the Committee of Public Accounts. However, as the two documents contain material relevant to our Department's negotiations with the company, it would not be right to release them. I can say however that I am not aware of anything in the consultants' reports which casts doubt on the factual accuracy of BOC's evidence.