Contributions
1,244 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDProcurement Bill [ Lords ] (Fifth sitting)Clause 56 sets technical specifications that contain the required characteristics of the goods, services or works that a supplier has to provide. They are included within…07 Feb 2023HANSARDProcurement Bill [ Lords ] (Sixth sitting)It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship once again, Mr Mundell. Amendments 23 and 24 would require contracting authorities to treat any supplier on the debarment list as…07 Feb 2023HANSARDProcurement Bill [ Lords ] (Sixth sitting)There is absolutely the issue of national security. However, it is important that we retain an element of flexibility, so that in extremis, if there is only one provider of an…07 Feb 2023HANSARDProcurement Bill [ Lords ] (Sixth sitting)Schedule 6 sets out the mandatory grounds for exclusion. They consist of criminal offences and other misconduct serious enough to merit exclusion if the circumstances in question…07 Feb 2023HANSARDProcurement Bill [ Lords ] (Sixth sitting)I beg to move amendment 87, in page 110, line 33, schedule 7, leave out paragraph 15. This amendment would leave out the discretionary exclusion ground relating to forced organ…07 Feb 2023HANSARDProcurement Bill [ Lords ] (Sixth sitting)We are assured that the absolutely abhorrent practice of forced organ harvesting would qualify as serious unethical behaviour. Consequently, that would mean that, in the Bill, it…07 Feb 2023HANSARDProcurement Bill [ Lords ] (Sixth sitting)The amendment would introduce a new discretionary exclusion ground in relation to sanctions violations. The Government of course expect all businesses to comply with their…07 Feb 2023HANSARDProcurement Bill [ Lords ] (Sixth sitting)Amendment 112 would introduce a new discretionary ground for exclusion in relation to labour law infringements. There are already robust grounds for exclusion for the most…07 Feb 2023HANSARDProcurement Bill [ Lords ] (Sixth sitting)I beg to move amendment 88, in schedule 7, page 111, line 44, at end insert— “‘event’ means a conviction, decision, ruling, failure or other event by virtue of which a…07 Feb 2023HANSARDProcurement Bill [ Lords ] (Sixth sitting)Amendment 88 is a technical amendment that inserts a definition of “event” for the purpose of the five-year look-back period in schedule 7. It mirrors the same definition already…07 Feb 2023HANSARDProcurement Bill [ Lords ] (Sixth sitting)I thank the hon. Lady for her comments and support of the schedule. She asked about the look-back periods in paragraph 16 and why they differ—perhaps she could intervene to…07 Feb 2023HANSARDProcurement Bill [ Lords ] (Sixth sitting)I am embarrassed to say that my memory is failing me, but I will let the hon. Lady know later in the afternoon.07 Feb 2023HANSARDProcurement Bill [ Lords ] (Sixth sitting)I look forward to receiving the hon. Lady’s letter. Question put and agreed to . Clause 59 accordingly ordered to stand part of the Bill. Clauses 60 and 61 ordered to stand part…07 Feb 2023HANSARDProcurement Bill [ Lords ] (Sixth sitting)We move on to a monster grouping. The clauses, which concern the debarment list, are important, ground-breaking provisions that will support contracting authorities to reject bids…07 Feb 2023HANSARDPublic ProcurementI am pleased to be able to tell my hon. Friend that the Bill includes a specific duty on contracting authorities to recognise the particular barriers that SMEs face. Other…02 Feb 2023HANSARDProcurement Bill [ Lords ] (Third sitting)Let me take the hon. Lady’s questions in turn. Effective preliminary market engagement is a great tool to improve procurement. It will improve contracting authorities’ ability to…02 Feb 2023HANSARDProcurement Bill [ Lords ] (Third sitting)Clause 16 covers preliminary market engagement and is followed by clause 17, which includes provisions on related notice requirements. We want to promote and encourage contracting…02 Feb 2023HANSARDProcurement Bill [ Lords ] (Third sitting)I will just repeat what I said, very briefly. I understand the desire behind the amendment, but we believe that there are sufficient measures for preliminary market engagement for…02 Feb 2023HANSARDProcurement Bill [ Lords ] (Third sitting)Certainly not, because I am sure that there would be no need, whereas it was very clear that there was a need in the case to which the hon. Lady refers. She will know that the…02 Feb 2023HANSARDProcurement Bill [ Lords ] (Third sitting)The hon. Lady has previously given some good examples of things that are going wrong with current procurement. The SNP has not tabled any reform to procurement in Scotland, and I…02 Feb 2023