| Home Page |
Column 121
Written Answers to Questions
Tuesday 24 July 1990
DEFENCE
Small Businesses
Mr. David Shaw : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the achievements of (a) his policies and (b) his Department in helping small businesses over the last 12 months as against the previous 12 months ; and if he will publish the performance indicators by which his Department monitors those achievements and the statistical results of such monitoring.
Mr. Alan Clark : The Government have continued to place a high priority on helping small businesses, through improvements to the business climate, through deregulation and other measures, and through specific programmes of support and assistance.
To assist in obtaining better value for money through broadening its competitive base, the Ministry of Defence has continued to provide a new suppliers service responsible for encouraging and assisting small firms to compete for defence business. Over the past 12 months the new suppliers service has attended a wide range of seminars and "meet-the-buyer" events and has given advice to about 2, 200 companies on how to sell to the Ministry of Defence. The Ministry of Defence has also continued to produce a fortnightly contracts bulletin, which includes notice of almost all contracts the Department expects to place valued at more than £500,000. Since 1 January 1990 clothing and textile requirements have been included in the bulletin at a lower threshold of £250,000. The bulletin will shortly include details of sub-contract opportunities, which will be of particular value to small companies. The success of these measures to encourage a widening of our supplier base is in part reflected by our having placed 67 per cent. of headquarters contracts by value by competition or otherwise by reference to market forces in 1989-90. Details of payments made by the Ministry of Defence to small firms in 1989-90 are not yet available.
In addition, the small firms research initiative aims to encourage small firms to bid for research work. In 1989-90, 36 research contracts were placed with small firms at a total value of £1.3 million.
Government Contracts (Profit Formula)
Mr. Patrick Thompson : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the report by the review board on its sixth general review of the profit formula for Government contracts.
Mr. Alan Clark : The main recommendation in the report is for an increase, based on comparability, in the overall target rate of return on non-competitive contracts.
After careful consideration I have concluded that we cannot adopt that recommendation and that the current target rate should remain in force. This decision implies no
Column 122
criticism of the review board. It is based on my assessment in present circumstances that the maintenance of the existing target rate for such contracts will ensure adequate industrial resources to meet our current needs.The report raises a number of other issues relating to the operation of the profit formula and the pricing of non-competitive contracts. My officials will be pursuing these with representatives of the CBI and with the review board, as appropriate.
A copy of the review board's report has been placed in the Library.
ATTORNEY-GENERAL
Interviews (Tape-recording)
Mr. Lawrence : To ask the Attorney-General what assessment he makes of the effect of tape-recorded interviews of suspects upon the speed of trials, the delays in bringing cases to trial and the number of pleas of guilty being entered.
The Attorney-General : The effect of tape-recorded interviews has not been assessed pending the completion of the nationwide introduction of the scheme.
Armagh Courthouses (Union Flag)
Mr. John D. Taylor : To ask the Attorney-General for what reasons the Union flag is no longer flown on the flagpole on top of the courthouses in Armagh city ; whether the Union flag being flown on a pole at ground level at the courthouse has been damaged ; and if he will make a statement.
The Attorney-General : The flagpole on top of the courthouse at Armagh is no longer used for safety reasons. This position affords little or no protection when raising or lowering the Union flag and staff were in danger of falling. The new flagpole was fixed to the inward side of the perimeter wall. A flag was damaged on barbed wire at the new location. Two strands of barbed wire have been removed, and a new flag supplied. It has been flown subsequently without difficulty.
Factortame
Mr. Knapman : To ask the Attorney-General, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Southend, East (Mr. Taylor) of 26 June, Official Report, columns 141-42, if he will make a further statement on the juridical implications of Factortame, in the light of the decision of the House of Lords.
The Attorney-General : The Factortame case was reinstated in the House of Lords on 2 July and the hearing concluded on 9 July. It has been indicated that the House of Lords has decided in principle to grant interim relief in favour of the applicants to the effect that the Secretary of State for Transport should not withhold registration in respect of any fishing vessel if the owner is an "original applicant" for interim relief who is disentitled to registration under section 14 of the Merchant Shipping Act 1988 by reason only of a failure to meet the conditions requiring directors and shareholders of owning companies to be resident and domiciled in the United Kingdom. It would be inappropriate to comment further on the House of Lords' decision until it has determined the form of its order and it has given its fully reasoned judgment.
Column 123
Small Businesses
Mr. David Shaw : To ask the Attorney-General if he will make a statement on the achievements of the Lord Chancellor's Department in helping small businesses over the last 12 months as against the previous 12 months ; and if he will publish the performance indicators by which his Department monitors these achievements and the statistical results of such monitoring.
The Attorney-General : The Government have continued to place a high priority on helping small businesses through improvements to the business climate, through deregulation and other measures, and through specific programmes of support and assistance.
The Lord Chancellor has implemented a number of policies designed to ensure that all litigants enjoy the greatest possible quality and speed of service from the civil courts. However, as these policies are not specifically targeted on small businesses, no performance indicators are kept in this regard.
The Lord Chancellor's Department has continued to encourage the use of small businesses as suppliers in line with the Government purchasing initiative. Within the last 12 months guidance issued by the Department of Employment--Central Unit on Purchasing has been circulated to all purchasing and supply staff, and there has
Column 124
been participation in a "meet the buyer" event. The Department's estimated total expenditure with small firms--fewer than 200 employees--in 1989-90 was £14 million.THE ARTS
Works of Art (Disposal)
Mr. Faulds : To ask the Minister for the Arts if he will specify the allocations made to public institutions in the United Kingdom during the half year ended 30 June of individual works of art and museum objects pre- eminent for national, scientific, historical or artistic interest which have been accepted in satisfaction of inheritance tax or capital transfer tax, together with information, where applicable, as to conditions or wishes expressed by testators or executors in the matter of allocation ; whether he will list the works of art and museum objects which are still awaiting allocation, with the respective dates of their acceptance in satisfaction of inheritance tax or capital transfer tax ; and whether a press notice will be issued from his Department covering the information given in his reply.
Mr. Mellor [holding answer 23 July 1990] : The information the hon. Gentleman requests is as follows :
Column 123