Public Procurement 2022-02-24
2022-02-24
TAGS
Response quality
Questions & Answers
Q1
Partial Answer
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Context
None provided, general inquiry about government support for small businesses.
What steps the Government are taking to increase opportunities for small businesses to bid for Government contracts.
Her Majesty's Government are reforming the procurement rules to make it simpler and quicker for suppliers, including small and medium-sized enterprises and social enterprises, to bid for public sector contracts. The reforms will entrench transparency for the full extent of a commercial transaction, and will make it easier for buyers to take account of previous poor performance by suppliers.
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Assessment & feedback
None
Response accuracy
Q2
Partial Answer
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Context
The US sets informal targets through the Buy American Act for British steel procurement allowed by WTO rules.
The Government need to get on and reform those rules somewhat more quickly, do they not? In answer to my written question about steel targets for HS2, the Government told me that they were unable to set targets for British steel procurement because of World Trade Organisation rules, but that is not true, is it? The US sets informal targets through the Buy American Act because the WTO allows it to do so. Where, then, is the Buy British-made Steel policy in Government contracts in this country, using the informal targets that are allowed by the WTO?
One of the opportunities of Brexit is that we will be able to encourage people to buy more from SMEs, which tend to be UK-based rather than from overseas. Opening up procurement has the effect of ensuring that more British companies get contracts.
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Assessment & feedback
Specific request for steel procurement targets was not addressed directly.
Discussed General Encouragement To Buy Local
Response accuracy
Q3
Partial Answer
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Context
The Government spend £2 billion annually on food for schools, hospitals, prisons.
When they eventually respond to the national food strategy, will they accept its recommendations on reforming procurement rules so that food purchased with taxpayers' money is always healthy and sustainable?
I do not think we need to go into my personal dietary habits. As for the strategy for procurement of food, one of the things it will do is allow social benefit to be taken into account. It will not just be about value for money, although value for money is inevitably fundamental to all procurement.
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Assessment & feedback
Specific request was deflected by talking about personal habits and general principles.
Discussed Personal Dietary Habits
Mentioned Broad Principles
Response accuracy
Q4
Partial Answer
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Context
The Government's procurement and contract management have not been as efficient as they should be.
In his role as Minister for Government Efficiency, will my right hon. Friend take that on board, and will he ensure that the Government set out new guidelines for procurement for themselves so that they do not keep changing them and hence building in inefficiency?
The new procurement rules will make it easier for buyers to exclude suppliers that have underperformed on other public contracts. We will establish a new, centrally managed debarment register, which will identify any companies that should be banned from any new public contract.
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Assessment & feedback
Specific request for guidelines was not directly addressed.
Discussed Exclusion Rules And Debarment
Response accuracy
Q5
Direct Answer
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Context
Ancillary requirements in tender documents form a barrier to SME participation.
Will my right hon. Friend consider relaxing those non-core requirements, to enable SMEs in Broadland and elsewhere to compete?
The personal liability insurance that people were required to have when contracting with the Cabinet Office inevitably excluded some smaller companies. One of the first things I did in this post was to ask for that to be reviewed to see if it was proportionate and what we really needed.
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Assessment & feedback
Response accuracy
Q6
Partial Answer
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Context
Around 70% of all central Government contracts in 2021 went to suppliers in the south of England, with almost half going to companies in London.
Can the Minister outline the specific targets in the procurement Bill that will ensure that Government purchasing of goods and services is better spread across our country?
I cannot reveal the details of Bills before they are published, but I agree with the hon. Lady's basic thrust and point. One of the advantages of our new procurement system is that we will have better data and will therefore be able to ensure that the whole of the country is represented.
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Assessment & feedback
Cannot Reveal Details Due To Confidentiality
Mentioned Data Collection
Response accuracy
Q7
Partial Answer
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Context
Brexit has led to the removal of EU bureaucratic procurement rules, providing an opportunity for local authorities to favour local businesses in public procurement.
One of the great benefits of Brexit is that we are no longer bound by EU bureaucratic procurement rules. Will the Minister ensure clear guidance to local authorities, schools, and other areas of public procurement to favour local businesses, particularly smaller businesses and local producers, so our children and public service workers can enjoy quality food and drink products that are locally produced in this country?
I look forward to my trip to Worthing. He is absolutely right; this comes from the de-bureaucratisation of the system because it makes it easier for small companies to apply. The thing to remember is that large companies have departments that fill out tender documents, but small companies do not. We need to simplify the tender documents to bring the small companies in.
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Assessment & feedback
The guidance or policy on favouring local businesses was not directly addressed.
Response accuracy
Q8
Partial Answer
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Context
Over a year ago, the Public Accounts Committee discovered that there were 10,000 shipping containers filled with millions of items of personal protective equipment. The number increased to 14,000 months later.
There are currently 14,000 shipping containers full of unused PPE costing billions of pounds. Can the Minister please give an update on how many shipping containers are still full of PPE this month?
That is a matter for the Department of Health. I would defend the procurement of PPE because we needed it urgently, as we needed a vaccine urgently. Normal procurement takes three to six months, but we had to act urgently to get PPE.
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Assessment & feedback
The number of shipping containers with unused PPE was not provided.
That Is A Matter For The Department Of Health.
Response accuracy