§ Mr. BellTo ask the President of the Board of Trade how his Department is monitoring the tendering of contracts by Governments of EC member states within the framework of the single market.
§ Mr. NeedhamResponsibility for monitoring the application and effectiveness of EC law on public procurement lies with the European Commission in co-operation with member states. Her Majesty's Treasury represents the United Kingdom in that context and co-ordinates responses to alleged breaches of the rules in the United Kingdom. My Department's single market compliance unit is available to provide advice to any United Kingdom supplier who suspects that the rules are being broken by a purchaser in another member state. The principal means of enforcement, however, lies in the hands of potential suppliers and contractors who can take direct legal action if they are harmed by a purchaser's failure to follow the rules.