Public Procurement Value for Money 2023-11-23
2023-11-23
TAGS
Response quality
Questions & Answers
Q1
Direct Answer
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Context
The question addresses the importance of ensuring value for money in public procurement and seeks steps taken by the government with cabinet colleagues to achieve this.
What steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help ensure value for money in public procurement. Value for money is central to the Government's long-standing procurement policy, as set out in “Managing Public Money”. Current procurement regulations require contracting authorities to select the most economically advantageous tender.
Value for money is central to the Government's long-standing procurement policy, as set out in “Managing Public Money”. Current procurement regulations require contracting authorities to select the most economically advantageous tender. The Procurement Act 2023—recently received Royal Assent—will streamline procurement processes and ensure that value for money remains one of the central tenets of the UK's procurement regime.
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Assessment & feedback
Response accuracy
Q2
Direct Answer
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Context
The question highlights the loss of billions in taxpayers' money due to flawed contracts during the COVID pandemic and seeks details on government plans to recover this lost public funding.
If every pound of taxpayers' money matters, what are the Government's plans to recover the loss of billions of pounds in flawed covid contracts? The Government have already taken extraordinary steps to recover fraud money during the covid period. His Majesty's Revenue and Customs remains committed to the recovery of covid-19 support scheme fraud.
The Government have already taken extraordinary steps to recover fraud money during the covid period. His Majesty's Revenue and Customs remains committed to the recovery of covid-19 support scheme fraud. The Government are also committed to bearing down on fraud in the covid loan schemes. £13.2 million has been allocated to the National Investigation Service over three years to double its investigative capacity on bounce back loans and fund other activities.
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Assessment & feedback
Response accuracy
Q3
Partial Answer
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Context
The question builds on the previous discussion about recovering billions in flawed COVID contracts and proposes a Labour plan for a covid corruption commissioner to pursue recovery of such funds.
Billions of pounds of public money was wasted during the covid pandemic through dodgy contracts that we know were signed off by the Government. Labour has said that they will appoint a covid corruption commissioner to pursue every pound of public money that has been inappropriately lost from pandemic-related contracts, fraud and waste. Will the Minister borrow their plans? The House should note that the Government already set out the public sector fraud authority last year, which is based in the Cabinet Office.
The Government have already set out the public sector fraud authority last year, which is based in the Cabinet Office and very ably handled by my colleague Baroness Neville-Rolfe. We are committed to bearing down on fraud in covid loan schemes with £13.2 million allocated over three years to double investigative capacity on bounce back loans.
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Assessment & feedback
The Labour plan for a covid corruption commissioner was not addressed directly.
We Already Have Public Sector Fraud Authority
Response accuracy
Q4
Partial Answer
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Context
The question focuses on how artificial intelligence can play a role in making savings in public sector budgets to address the impact of inflation, as announced by the Chancellor.
It is clear from the Chancellor's autumn statement that we will need to make savings in public sector budgets for some years to come to overcome the impact of inflation. Can the Minister say how artificial intelligence will play a role in this and what efforts he is making to procure necessary systems?
Artificial intelligence can speed up Government processes, improve productivity and deliver value for money. Procurement frameworks help Departments identify good AI systems to secure. The Deputy Prime Minister announced hiring more people with high levels of innovative skill to build AI systems in government.
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Assessment & feedback
Specific efforts on procurement of necessary AI systems were not detailed.
We Are Still Coming To Terms With The Potential
Response accuracy