§ Mr. Austin MitchellTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many contracts over £92,500 have been let by his Department in the 1988–89 financial year and in the current financial year to date; and how many of these were(a) automatically renewed and (b) open to competition by advertisement throughout the European Community.
§ Mr. AtkinsThe number of contracts awarded by the Department of Transport and covered by the provisions of the EC supplies directive, for which the current threshold is £92,000, was 35 in the calendar year 1988, and 45 so far in this calendar year. Of these 31 were awarded following advertisement in the EC Journal, and 49 were considered to be exempt from advertising.