Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Covid-19: Consultants

Thursday 17 December 2020 · 5 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 5 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Working effectively with the private sector has helped address pandemic challenges.
  • Emergency contracting rules were accurate but faced delays in publishing contracts due to technical issues, now resolved.
  • The Green Paper on public procurement aims to improve future practices post-transition period.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Margaret Greenwood Lab
Employment
Context

During the pandemic, government contracts were awarded to external consultants and private sector organisations. Assessments are needed on whether these measures effectively addressed challenges.

Question

What assessment has been made of the effectiveness of Government outsourcing during the covid-19 outbreak?

Answer from Julia Lopez

Working effectively with the private sector has helped address pandemic challenges. Contracting authorities must ensure value for taxpayers. The outsourcing playbook updated in June includes policies to improve contract quality and build civil service capability to reduce reliance on external consultants.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The effectiveness of contracts awarded without competition or due diligence checks is not addressed.

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Q2 Andrew Gwynne Ind Gorton and Denton
Standards & Ethics
Context

The National Audit Office found issues with government contracts awarded without competition or due diligence checks, raising concerns about transparency.

Question

How can the public have any trust in the Government's response if the Government are not transparent with them?

Answer from Julia Lopez

We will look into National Audit Office recommendations. Emergency contracting rules were accurate, but there have been delays in publishing contracts due to technical issues, which are now resolved with 100% of relevant body contracts published.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The lack of competition and due diligence checks is not directly addressed.

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Q3 Margaret Greenwood Lab
Standards & Ethics
Context

£1.6 billion-worth of contracts for COVID-19 services have not been published, and there are legal requirements to publish details within 30 days.

Question

What is the Minister going to do to improve transparency in Government procurement?

Answer from Julia Lopez

All personal protective equipment contracts are now published. Difficulties exist but were outlined last week. A Green Paper on public procurement was launched this week and will introduce changes post-transition period to improve future practices.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The £1.6 billion in unpublished contracts is not specifically addressed, only generally improved transparency is promised.

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Q4 Helen Hayes Lab Dulwich and West Norwood
Standards & Ethics
Context

The Minister mentioned the Green Paper on procurement, which acknowledges the need for transparency. Concerns exist over contracts awarded without competition to Tory-connected firms.

Question

Will the Minister put those warm words into action now and extend the Freedom of Information Act to all private companies delivering public services?

Answer from Julia Lopez

The Minister is willing to look into extending FOI but raises concerns about commercial confidentiality. The Green Paper aims to address issues faced during the pandemic and improve procurement practices.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Directly addressing whether FOI will be extended or not is avoided.

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Q5 Clive Lewis Lab Norwich South
Standards & Ethics
Context

The National Audit Office reports that £10.5 billion was awarded without competition to firms with Tory connections, raising concerns about potential conflicts of interest.

Question

Does the Minister agree that in any other part of the world it would be called corruption?

Answer from Julia Lopez

Every contract went through an eight-stage process, ensuring commercial sense over connections. No wrongdoing was found according to the NAO report. Interests were declared by Ministers.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The term 'corruption' is not addressed or acknowledged directly.

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