asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the value of contracts, excluding shipbuilding, placed in Scotland in each of the last three years as a result of the Government Contract Preference Scheme for development areas.

Excluding shipbuilding (and also construction because it does not come within the Preference Scheme), contracts worth £51 million were placed by Government Departments in Scotland in 1970–71, but it is not possible to give separately the value of contracts placed as a result of preference. Figures for earlier years are not available.