§ Mr. DykesTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what response he has made to the representations made in recent months on behalf of the Marconi Defence Systems Ltd. subsidiary group within GEC plc for inclusion in significant high-technology defence contracts; and if he will list the recent contract awards in which Marconi Stanmore and the other subsidiaries have been so included. [18274]
§ Mr. ArbuthnotOther than the representation that my hon. Friend made in July 1996 about the advanced air launched anti-armour weapon, SR(A)1238, to which I replied on 24 July 1996 my Department is not aware of any other representations. During the last three months, the various companies within GEC-Marconi Ltd. have received about 400 contracts from MOD and DERA, ranging from a few hundred to several million pounds in value. As there are so many contracts and as details of the nature of individual contracts are not held centrally, to research the requested information and list those over a certain value could be carried out only at disproportionate cost.