§ Mrs. RocheTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to ensure that his Department identifies the size of its suppliers by the number of their employees. [15603]
§ Sir John WheelerThe majority of suppliers in Northern Ireland are small and medium-sized enterprises.
115WHowever, any supplier seeking business through the Government purchasing service is asked to complete a supplier questionnaire as part of the tendering process. One of the requirements of the questionnaire is that all firms give details of the average annual manpower and number of managerial staff employed over the past three years.