Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Public Procurement

Thursday 24 October 2024 · 4 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 4 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Minister announced a new national procurement policy statement to address waste and inefficiency.
  • Chancellor appointed a new covid counter-fraud commissioner and is working with the Public Sector Fraud Authority to prevent fraud.
  • Consultation is ongoing for a new national procurement policy statement to embed social value in public procurement.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Jo Platt Labour (Co-op) Leigh and Atherton
Business & Trade
Context

MP noted concerns about waste, inefficiency, and cronyism in public procurement under the previous government.

Question

What steps he is taking to reform public procurement. Under the previous Government, there was significant waste and inefficiency. How will this be addressed?

Answer from Georgia Gould

We are ending waste and cronyism by bringing forward a new national procurement policy statement under the Procurement Act 2023, which will deliver a mission-led regime focusing on value for money, economic growth, and social value. Steps have been taken to cut wasteful consultancy spending and appoint a covid counter-fraud commissioner.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not specify how exactly the new policy statement addresses issues of cronyism or inefficiency with concrete actions.

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Q2 Scott Arthur Lab Edinburgh South West
Taxation Standards & Ethics
Context

MP referenced a major procurement scandal under the previous Conservative Government, involving contracts given to mates and donors.

Question

Will the Minister update the House on steps taken to ensure there will never be a repeat of this procurement scandal? Residents are angry and disgusted with past actions.

Answer from Georgia Gould

The Chancellor appointed a new covid counter-fraud commissioner, and I am working closely with the Public Sector Fraud Authority to detect fraud through advanced AI and analytics. We are pushing every avenue for recovery of public money and prevention of such incidents in future.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not specifically address how these steps ensure that a repeat scandal will never happen again.

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Q3 Jo Platt Labour (Co-op) Leigh and Atherton
Business Compliance
Context

MP noted the potential of public procurement to drive positive change, especially given past financial challenges.

Question

Does the Minister agree that proper embedding of social value is crucial for delivering positive change through procurement? What steps will she take on this front?

Answer from Georgia Gould

I agree that public sector procurement can drive societal change. We are consulting on a new national procurement policy statement that sets out expectations around mission delivery and social value, aiming to open up opportunities for communities across the UK.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not provide specific steps beyond consultations or concrete commitments.

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Q4 Jim Shannon DUP Strangford
Northern Ireland Business & Trade
Context

MP asked about ensuring small and medium-sized enterprises have access to public procurement opportunities.

Question

What steps have been taken to ensure that SMEs in Northern Ireland can secure goods for their business through public procurement, aiding economic growth?

Answer from Georgia Gould

Supporting SMEs is a priority. We are consulting on the new national procurement policy statement and looking across government work to ensure SME inclusion. We will come back to the House with more details.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not specify concrete actions beyond consultations or future plans without clear timelines.

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