Dr. ThomasTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will place a consultancy research contract with the countryside interpretation unit, presently based at the Open university, Milton Keynes, as part of his Department's promotion of countryside environmental awareness.
§ Mrs. Virginia BottomleyThe Department of the Environment has no immediate intentions of placing a consultancy research contract with the countryside interpretation unit. Research contracts are commissioned in keeping with the Department's research priorities and on the basis of competitive tenders, unless there are special reasons for inviting a single contractor. The Department will consider proposals for research relevant to its responsibilities in line with its established contractual procedures.