Government Contracts Underperforming Suppliers and Legislative Proposals 2022-01-13
2022-01-13
TAGS
Response quality
Questions & Answers
Q1
Direct Answer
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Context
In December 2020, the government published a Green Paper on transforming public procurement.
When will legislative proposals to reform public procurement be brought forward? The December 2020 publication discussed making it easier for buyers to account for previous poor supplier performance and enforcing clearer rules about excluding risky suppliers.
We intend to bring forward the detailed and ambitious legislative proposals from the December 2020 Green Paper on transforming public procurement when parliamentary time allows. These reforms will make it easier for buyers to take account of previous poor performance by suppliers, and there will be clearer and stronger rules about excluding suppliers that pose an unacceptable risk.
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Assessment & feedback
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Q2
Direct Answer
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Context
The Prime Minister is bringing forward procurement reforms worth £300 billion a year to the UK economy.
What actions will be taken to get contractors to supply services as contracted and what steps will be taken to cancel contracts with underperforming suppliers?
Under the public contract regulations, contracting authorities can use selection criteria based on previous poor performance by suppliers. The upcoming reforms will improve these systems across the board.
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Assessment & feedback
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Q3
Partial Answer
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Context
The Government maintains buying standards for food and catering services. The shadow Chancellor has pledged that Labour will ensure public bodies report on how much British produce they buy.
What are the government's plans to bring up-to-date food procurement standards, or do they support open season for foreign imports?
A new procurement Bill is being prepared that will include detailed policies and reforms. The Conservative party supports free trade, while the Labour party's stance is unclear.
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Assessment & feedback
Specific plans to update food procurement standards were not provided
Do Not Know About The Labour Party
Response accuracy
Q4
Partial Answer
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Context
The Government's VIP lane for personal protective equipment contracts has been ruled unlawful.
Will there be immediate publication of emergency procurement contracts after their award to restore public faith?
The court ruled that the Government's industry call to arms was open, transparent and justified in a time of national emergency. The technical breaches were minor.
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Assessment & feedback
Publication of all emergency procurement contracts immediately
Do Not Accept Characterisation
Ruling Was Technical
Response accuracy
Q5
Partial Answer
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Context
A local SME invested over £700,000 in automating its hand sanitiser production to meet UK Government Department needs.
What will be done to recognise the resilience of British firms and improve the uptake of their products by Government Departments?
Companies should be thanked for providing support during a national emergency. The Minister invites the hon. Member to share specific examples.
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Assessment & feedback
Recognition of resilience and improving uptake of British-made products by Government Departments
Write To Me With That Particular Example
Response accuracy
Q6
Partial Answer
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Context
The Government broke the law by handing out contracts worth huge sums to those with political connections.
When will all emergency procurement procedures end and all emergency covid contracts be published?
Emergency procurement is routine outside pandemics for various reasons. A new procurement Bill will look at different ways of proceeding.
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Assessment & feedback
Ending emergency procurement procedures and publishing all emergency contracts immediately
Emergency Procurement Happens All The Time
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Q7
Direct Answer
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Context
Post Brexit, there is an opportunity to support local procurement.
Will the Government take a proactive lead to support local procurement which benefits local small businesses and farmers?
Thanks to the work of Lord Agnew, my hon. Friend can look forward to further progress on supporting local procurement.
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Assessment & feedback
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Q8
Partial Answer
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Context
The Government's use of emergency procurement during the pandemic raised concerns over transparency, conflicts of interest, and unsuitable suppliers. Despite nearly two years passing, departments continue to bypass open competition and scrutiny under emergency regulations.
The Government's use of emergency procurement during the pandemic has raised concerns around the transparency of contracts, potential conflicts of interest and the unsuitability of suppliers. Nearly two years on, Government Departments can still use those emergency regulations to bypass open competition and scrutiny. That is unacceptable, and it implies that Departments have failed to plan ahead to meet demand. Will the Minister explain why that has been allowed to continue?
The availability of an emergency mechanism for procurement existed prior to the pandemic. It has taken place under Governments of all political colours, and it will continue to take place occasionally. The contracts signed by Government with third parties are myriad, and there will frequently be circumstances of supply, or circumstances that relate to particular individual cases where emergency mechanisms have to apply. That is routine and it continues on a regular basis when it has to.
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Assessment & feedback
The specific ask for an explanation of why departments are still allowed to bypass normal procurement processes under emergency regulations was not directly addressed.
Response accuracy
Q9
Partial Answer
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Context
Recent civil service fast stream recruitment resulted in more successful applicants coming from London than the entire Midlands and North of England combined, with external applicants from less privileged backgrounds comprising over half but only a third being offered jobs.
Good procurement that benefits the whole country needs good decisions made by a civil service that reflects the society it serves. However, the civil service fast stream recruitment over the last three years—from 2019 to 2021—resulted in more successful applicants coming from homes in London than the whole of the midlands and north of England put together. Although young people whose parents did not go to university made up more than half of external applicants, they made up only less than a third of those who were offered jobs. What is the Minister doing to rectify that regional and class discrimination in the civil service fast stream recruitment?
Procurement or otherwise, I am proud of our civil service, and I hope that the hon. Lady is, too. She criticises the civil service and makes a class warfare-type assertion about it—I do not accept that. This country, under this Government, is levelling up. We are levelling up across the country and making reforms in all our mechanisms of government, including in the national health service, housing, the economy and transport, and we are doing it in the civil service, too.
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Assessment & feedback
The specific ask for measures addressing recruitment imbalance was not addressed; instead, the Minister shifted focus to broader levelling-up initiatives.
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