HC Deb 20 May 1992 vol 208 cc189-90W
Mr. O'Neill

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 13 May,Official Report, column 153, if he will state the nature of the circumstances in which information on the estimated expenditure on individual projects would be treated as commercially confidential to protect the commercial position of his Department; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Aitken

My Department takes such action when the release of the information concerned could be detrimental to its (and the taxpayer's) position in contractual negotiations.