To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what research has been carried out into the number of contracts for goods or services let by the Government which are then sub-contracted by the prime contractor. (286713)

No specific research has been carried out into the number of contracts let by Government which are then subcontracted.

The Glover report, “Accelerating the SME economic engine”, refers to limited research conducted by Middlesex university and to earlier external research, both covering SME subcontracting and is available at:

www.ogc.gov.uk/documents/Accelerating_the_ SME_Economic_Engine.pdf