Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Public Contracts: Value for Money

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

  • Ministerial assessment is focusing on ensuring public procurement decisions are based on value for money and social value.
  • Capita's performance on the civil service pension scheme was described as lamentable.
  • The Minister confirmed the cancellation of Capita's contract for the Royal Mail statutory pension scheme.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Lorraine Beavers Lab Blackpool North and Fleetwood
Parliamentary Procedure
Context

No specific background or context was provided, but the question addresses general concerns about the value of such contracts.

Question

What recent assessment has been made of the value for money of public contracts with private sector providers?

Answer from Nick Thomas-Symonds

My hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office, is doing great work to ensure that public procurement is on the side of working people. Outsourcing by default has not delivered, so a new public interest test would ensure that outsourcing decisions are based on value for money, social value, market and economic impact, and capability and capacity.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The question asked for recent assessments of specific contracts, but the answer discusses general principles without providing concrete details about recent evaluations.

How: Discusses General Principles

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Q2 Lorraine Beavers Lab Blackpool North and Fleetwood
Benefits & Welfare
Context

The MP references Capita's poor performance in the civil service pension scheme, leading to questions about why they were still awarded another significant contract. The question aims to clarify responsibility and decision-making processes.

Question

Despite Capita's horrendous administration of the civil service pension scheme, it was still awarded the Synergy shared services contract. We still do not have a reason why—and I am not the first person in this House to ask. Will the Minister finally confirm who was responsible for the decision and whether the Cabinet Office signed it off?

Answer from Nick Thomas-Symonds

I entirely agree with my hon. Friend's assessment of Capita's lamentable performance on the civil service pension scheme. We have to take individual decisions on contracts. For example, yesterday I cancelled Capita's contract for the Royal Mail statutory pension scheme. I am robustly holding Capita to account, including by withholding milestone payments on the civil service pension scheme. With regard to the Synergy contract, that was led by the Department for Work and Pensions through the normal process, and it too will be managed robustly.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The question specifically asked about responsibility and Cabinet Office involvement, but the answer focuses on other contracts and general management practices without providing specific details about who made the decision or whether Cabinet Office signed off the Synergy contract.

How: General Principles, Discusses Other Decisions

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