§ Mr. DonohoeTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many contracts for goods or services have been awarded in each of the last three financial years by his Department and its executive agencies after competitive tendering; and what was the total combined value of these contracts. [21037]
§ Sir John WheelerThe annual spend on goods and services following competitive tendering by Northern Ireland Departments, the Northern Ireland Office and their executive agencies in each of the last three financial years is:
- 1992–93: £280 million
- 1993–94: £231 million
- 1994–95: £236 million
Records of the precise number of contracts and their value are not held centrally. Such information could be gathered only at disproportionate cost given that a very large number of contractual arrangements are entered into annually.