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Written question asked by Dan Carden (Labour) on Tuesday, 8 July 2025, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 10 July 2025. It was answered by Georgia Gould (Labour) on Wednesday, 16 July 2025 on behalf of the Cabinet Office.


Public Sector: Procurement

Question

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will take steps to consult trade unions on the (a) award of public contracts and (b) appointment of strategic suppliers.

Answer

The Government is determined to ensure public money spent on public procurement delivers economic growth, supports small businesses, champions innovation, creates good jobs and skills opportunities across the country, and maximises social value.

Public sector procurement is subject to a legal framework set out by the Procurement Act, which encourages free and open competition and a focus on delivering value for money, in line with internationally and nationally agreed obligations and regulations. There is no specific legal requirement to consult trade unions on the award of public contracts or the selection of Strategic Suppliers. Individual Contracting Authorities are responsible for their own procurement and contract award decisions under the Act. Strategic Suppliers are selected based on the scale, scope and criticality of the services they provide, and are overseen centrally to observe their performance in the delivery of public services.


Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
65846
Session
2024-26
Subjects
Public sector Procurement Trade unions
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk