Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Government Procurement: British Companies

Thursday 23 April 2026 · 2 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 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Leigh Ingham asked about steps to increase procurement from British companies through government contracts.
  • Leigh Ingham congratulated Mr Speaker on St George's day and highlighted GE Vernova's job creation in her constituency.
  • The Minister acknowledged the importance of supporting British businesses and jobs more broadly.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Leigh Ingham Lab Stafford
Business & Trade
Context

The question arises from concerns about the adequacy of current procurement rules in supporting British businesses. There is a need to simplify and open up the system for SMEs, start-ups, and charities.

Question

What steps he is taking to increase levels of procurement from British companies through Government contracts?

Answer from Chris Ward

This Government do not believe that our procurement rules do enough to back British businesses. That is why I have announced steps to address that, and to simplify and open up the system to small and medium-sized enterprises, start-ups and charities. We will issue new guidance shortly to ensure that the procurement regime always serves the national interest.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific measures or timelines for increasing procurement from British companies were not provided.

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Q2 Leigh Ingham Lab Stafford
Economy Employment Business & Trade
Context

GE Vernova in the constituency of Stafford is creating new jobs and the questioner believes these companies should be prioritised when competing for Government contracts.

Question

Happy St George's day, Mr Speaker. GE Vernova, in my constituency of Stafford, Eccleshall and the villages, is creating 40 400 new jobs to add to the 1,400 people it already employs. I believe that companies like this, which are already backing Britain by investing here, should be given more consideration when they are competing for Government contracts. Can the Minister assure me that when UK Government money is being spent, particularly in industries that are key to our national security such as energy, we will prioritise those companies already investing in British manufacturing, British skills and British jobs?

Answer from Chris Ward

My hon. Friend is spot on, and I thank her for championing her local business while making a bigger point about how we need to support British jobs more widely. We have set out what we are going to do in four sectors, including energy infrastructure, but I agree that we need to go further and look at what more we can do in particular to support our manufacturing industry, and hopefully we will keep working to do that.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific assurances or commitments about prioritising companies already investing in British manufacturing were not provided

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