§ Mr. Wattsasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the value of contracts placed by his Department with small businesses in each of the financial years since 1978–79; and what percentage of total expenditure on purchases of goods and services those amounts represented.
512W
§ Mr. HurdThe Department does not keep records of the size of firms to which contracts are awarded; and the percentage of total expenditure represented by contracts awarded to small businesses cannot readily be estimated. Most outstation purchases, amounting to about £35 million annually, are likely to be placed with small businesses.