Contributions
1,244 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDProcurement Bill [ Lords ] (Third sitting)It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Efford. Amendments 20 and 21 seek to ensure that preliminary market engagement explicitly refers to SMEs. I thank the hon.…02 Feb 2023HANSARDProcurement Bill [ Lords ] (Fourth sitting)It is a pleasure to serve under you this afternoon, Mr Mundell. Before I turn to amendment 12, I would like to refer back to our previous sitting. I said that I would get back to…02 Feb 2023HANSARDTopical QuestionsAs a former Minister for apprenticeships, I share the hon. Gentleman’s enthusiasm. If he wishes to find out more about the Procurement Bill, he can join me and the hon. Member for…02 Feb 2023HANSARDUK ConstitutionI am pleased to say that from where I sit I have seen some very good relations recently. We have been working in lockstep on the Procurement Bill with colleagues from Northern…02 Feb 2023HANSARDUK ConstitutionThe British constitution is a summation of our conventions, practices and laws. The Government constantly assess their function and fitness for purpose. We currently consider the…02 Feb 2023HANSARDPublic Procurement: UK-made SteelI am pleased to tell the hon. Lady right now that 67% of the steel required for High Speed 2 is UK-produced, 94% of the steel used to maintain our rail track is produced in the UK…02 Feb 2023HANSARDPublic Procurement: UK-made SteelThe Government are ensuring a competitive future for the UK steel industry, and the reported value of UK-produced steel procured by the Government was up last year by £160…02 Feb 2023HANSARDScotland Act 1998As the hon. Gentleman knows, section 35 of the Scotland Act is part of our constitution. He will also know that it is now for the Scottish Government to bring forward a Bill that…02 Feb 2023HANSARDScotland Act 1998Alas, I am a mere junior Minister and I rarely get to talk to my illustrious Cabinet colleagues, but I can assure the hon. Gentleman that the Government used section 35 very…02 Feb 2023HANSARDPublic ProcurementThe hon. Lady will know from the many debates we are having on this subject that transparency is a key element of our new regime, which replaces the old, outdated EU regulations…02 Feb 2023HANSARDPublic ProcurementI cannot comment on the specific contract that the hon. Gentleman raises, but he will know from the debate we had in Westminster Hall the other day that the Bill introduces…02 Feb 2023HANSARDPublic ProcurementMy hon. Friend is right to raise that question. The Cabinet Office is producing comprehensive guidance and a programme of training for contracting authorities, with support for…02 Feb 2023HANSARDPublic ProcurementThe Procurement Bill is being considered in Committee in the House of Commons. The Bill will create a new public procurement regime that will make it simpler, quicker and cheaper…02 Feb 2023HANSARDProcurement Bill [ Lords ] (Fourth sitting)As I have said, we think that dynamic markets are a fantastic opportunity to speed up procurement and to bring SMEs into procurement opportunities that they have not previously…02 Feb 2023HANSARDProcurement Bill [ Lords ] (Fourth sitting)This substantial grouping of clauses is of considerable importance to the Bill. Clause 34 relates to the awarding of contracts under the new concept of a dynamic market. This is a…02 Feb 2023HANSARDProcurement Bill [ Lords ] (Fourth sitting)The hon. Lady will have heard me say on Tuesday about the light-touch provisions that the Government are heavily hemmed in by our international obligations in this area. The codes…02 Feb 2023HANSARDProcurement Bill [ Lords ] (Fourth sitting)Clause 33 operates similarly to clause 32, but allows only specific procurements to be reserved for organisations that have spun out of the public sector to provide social…02 Feb 2023HANSARDProcurement Bill [ Lords ] (Fourth sitting)Amendments 92 to 94, tabled by the hon. Lady, seek to reduce the scope of application of clause 32, which allows procurement to be reserved for supported employment providers. The…02 Feb 2023HANSARDProcurement Bill [ Lords ] (Fourth sitting)Amendments 32 and 33 seek to ensure that the provision is applied widely and as intended, so as to support disabled or disadvantaged people who might otherwise struggle to find…02 Feb 2023HANSARDProcurement Bill [ Lords ] (Fourth sitting)I beg to move amendment 32, in clause 32, page 23, line 22, after “operates” insert “wholly or partly”. This amendment would mean that an organisation could meet the test of being…02 Feb 2023