Contributions
1,244 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDProcurement Bill [ Lords ] (Fourth sitting)As the hon. Lady will know, we have included provisions throughout the Bill to make sure that bids are more accessible for SMEs and that we have a level playing field. In that…02 Feb 2023HANSARDProcurement Bill [ Lords ] (Fourth sitting)There will be times when changes need to be made to the terms of a procurement. Clause 31 sets the scope for such modifications, with the intention of striking a balance between…02 Feb 2023HANSARDProcurement Bill [ Lords ] (Fourth sitting)In answer to the hon. Lady’s final point, the Government are absolutely seeking to recover public money. The Department of Health and Social Care has been in a process of…02 Feb 2023HANSARDProcurement Bill [ Lords ] (Fourth sitting)Clause 30 requires contracting authorities to exclude suppliers that have gained an unavoidable, unfair advantage in a procurement as a result of improper behaviour in relation to…02 Feb 2023HANSARDProcurement Bill [ Lords ] (Fourth sitting)There would be a balance of risks. Not all security threats are proven. Of course, it is up to the authority to assess the concerns at the time. Question put, That the amendment…02 Feb 2023HANSARDProcurement Bill [ Lords ] (Fourth sitting)New clause 1 would legislate for the establishment of a committee to consider the threat to national security and cyber-security from suppliers in supply chains delivering public…02 Feb 2023HANSARDProcurement Bill [ Lords ] (Fourth sitting)On that final point, the hon. Lady will have heard me say that we intend to introduce a major programme of training and guidance across many areas covered by the Bill, as part of…02 Feb 2023HANSARDProcurement Bill [ Lords ] (Fourth sitting)We come to the clauses concerning the exclusion of suppliers. I appreciate that there is considerable interest in these clauses, and rightly so; they are an important part of the…02 Feb 2023HANSARDProcurement Bill [ Lords ] (Fourth sitting)The clause sets out a specific and somewhat technical provision, whereby a contracting authority can either permit or direct a supplier to subcontract the supply of goods,…02 Feb 2023HANSARDProcurement Bill [ Lords ] (Fourth sitting)I am glad to be able to give the hon. Lady that assurance. Question put and agreed to . Clause 23 accordingly ordered to stand part of the Bill . Clause 24 ordered to stand part…02 Feb 2023HANSARDProcurement Bill [ Lords ] (Fourth sitting)The clause explains what we mean by “award criteria”. They are the criteria against which contracting authorities assess tenders under a competitive tendering procedure, and the…02 Feb 2023HANSARDProcurement Bill [ Lords ] (Third sitting)I thank the Opposition for their support of the clause. Obviously, we will set out a whole range of guidance around the Bill, but the conditions of participation set out in the…02 Feb 2023HANSARDProcurement Bill [ Lords ] (Third sitting)Clause 22 enables contracting authorities to set conditions on suppliers’ participation in a procurement process. They are the conditions that a supplier must satisfy to be…02 Feb 2023HANSARDProcurement Bill [ Lords ] (Third sitting)One of the real advantages of having our online digital platform is that everyone, particularly the very small businesses that do not have much capacity, as the hon. Lady…02 Feb 2023HANSARDProcurement Bill [ Lords ] (Third sitting)The clause describes the requirement for contracting authorities to publish a tender notice in order to advertise and commence a competitive procedure. A tender notice may act as…02 Feb 2023HANSARDProcurement Bill [ Lords ] (Third sitting)In answer to the hon. Lady’s question, the new competitive flexible procedure will allow procurers to design the procurement best to deliver their outcome , rather than being…02 Feb 2023HANSARDProcurement Bill [ Lords ] (Third sitting)A key proposal in the Green Paper was simplification of the existing procurement procedures in the public contracts regulations, and clause 20 is the enactment of that proposal.…02 Feb 2023HANSARDProcurement Bill [ Lords ] (Third sitting)I am very pleased to hear the Opposition’s support for this clause and for our significant shift from MEAT to MAT—from most economically advantageous tender to most advantageous…02 Feb 2023HANSARDProcurement Bill [ Lords ] (Third sitting)I will respond as part of the clause stand part debate. Amendment 30 agreed to. Amendment made: 31, in clause 19, page 14, line 23, at end insert— “(3A) Before disregarding a…02 Feb 2023HANSARDProcurement Bill [ Lords ] (Third sitting)We tabled amendments 30 and 31 to ensure that contracting authorities can assess and disregard abnormally low tenders where the supplier cannot demonstrate to the buyer’s…02 Feb 2023