Contributions
444 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDFraud: Public SectorYesterday, the Government announced ambitious new legislation to take action on fraud, updating the Department for Work and Pensions’ powers for the first time in 20 years and…23 Jan 2025HANSARDFraud: Public SectorMy hon. Friend, as a local government leader during the pandemic, will know how hard things were for communities; sacrifices were made and people risked their lives to keep the…23 Jan 2025HANSARDTopical QuestionsI have met the CMA about the critical issue of bid rigging, and it is something the Government are looking into. More broadly, the Procurement Act 2023 and the new national…23 Jan 2025HANSARDTopical QuestionsI thank my hon. Friend for her question and for the time she spent with me last week setting out the opportunities of procurement and the needs of her community in Darlington. We…05 Dec 2024HANSARDPublic Procurement ReformWhen our public services are facing so much strain and desperately need rebuilding, it is critical that we cut waste and deliver value for money. Under the last Government the…05 Dec 2024HANSARDPublic Procurement ReformI spent the last few weeks meeting small and medium-sized enterprises, voluntary and community sector organisations, wider businesses and contracting authorities to discuss how we…05 Dec 2024HANSARDPublic Procurement ReformAs I have said, we will work hard to ensure that public contracts are supporting small businesses. I have spent a lot of time talking to them about how we can do that through the…05 Dec 2024HANSARDPublic Procurement ReformIt is critical that we open up public procurement to small businesses. As I have said, £300 billion is a huge amount of public money, and the opportunity to ensure that small and…05 Dec 2024HANSARDPublic Procurement ReformThat £400 billion is an enormous amount of money, and we need to ensure that it is going into growth, delivering for our communities and SMEs, and delivering on our missions. We…05 Dec 2024HANSARDPublic Procurement ReformAs I have said, I firmly believe that we need to support SMEs, and I should be more than happy to speak to those in the hon. Member’s constituency and discuss the opportunities…05 Dec 2024HANSARDPublic Procurement ReformThrough our procurement regime, we are determined to support small businesses, which are often locally rooted. We will continue to do that, while taking account of our trade…05 Dec 2024HANSARDPublic Procurement ReformI welcome the hon. Member to their place and look forward to meeting them across the Dispatch Box. Unfortunately, the last Government left this country in a terrible place, with…05 Dec 2024HANSARDPublic Services ReformAs a former council leader, I have seen at first hand the crisis in public services, with people falling between the cracks of systems that are under extreme strain. To reform…05 Dec 2024HANSARDPublic Services ReformI wholeheartedly agree with that. I heard too often from those on the frontline that they are fed up with policy being made in a closed room in Whitehall, and not with those who…05 Dec 2024HANSARDPublic Services ReformI am surprised to hear a Member on the Conservative Benches express concern about money that is desperately needed going into our NHS, when people are waiting for GP appointments…05 Dec 2024HANSARDTopical QuestionsMy hon. Friend is right to raise that point. Earlier this week, the Chancellor announced the appointment of Tom Hayhoe as the covid counter-fraud commissioner. The new…05 Dec 2024HANSARDTopical QuestionsUnder the Conservative Government, too much taxpayers’ money was wasted on eye-watering consultancy contracts. We are taking steps to stop all non-essential Government consultancy…05 Dec 2024HANSARDCabinet OfficeThe Chancellor of the Exchequer recently took decisive action by commencing the appointment of a new covid counter-fraud commissioner to help us recover public money and ensure…11 Nov 2024HANSARDCabinet OfficeThe Chancellor of the Exchequer recently took decisive action by appointing a new covid counter-fraud commissioner to help us recover public money and ensure that this never…11 Nov 2024HANSARDCompanies in DistressThe Government take very seriously our role to ensure the resilience of Government suppliers. The Cabinet Office takes an active role in monitoring the Government’s strategic…24 Oct 2024