Asked by: Jon Trickett (Labour - Normanton and Hemsworth)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, with reference to paragraph 9.1 of the Crown Commercial Service's document, Publication of Central Government Tenders and Contracts, for what reasons her Department's contract with Quintessentially (UK) Limited was not published on Contracts Finder until April 2019 when that contract began in May 2016.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The contract was procured prior to the formation of the Department for International Trade (DIT) by UK Shared Business Services who at the time managed UK Trade and Investment’s (UKTI) procurement activity. DIT took ownership of UKTI’s contracts on formation. UK Shared Business Services is a shared services provider and is jointly owned by the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy and UK Research and Innovation. UK Shared Business Services was responsible for adding the contract to Contracts Finder before responsibility for the contract was transferred to DIT. After DIT staff noticed the contract was not on Contracts Finder, in early 2019, the contract was added.
The Department are currently running a competitive procurement for a partner for inward investment services. This will replace the current contract with Quintessentially when it expires in May 2020. A notice was published on Contracts Finder and the Official Journal of the EU in January 2020 to inform the market of this opportunity.
Quintessentially won a competitive tender in 2016 which was carried out by UK Shared Business Service who at the time managed UKTI’s procurement activity.
Key performance indicators are designed to reflect the service required and are determined on a case-by-case basis.
DIT does not hold any other contracts with Quintessentially (UK) Limited in addition to the contract for the GREAT Investors Programme.
Asked by: Jon Trickett (Labour - Normanton and Hemsworth)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether her Department plans to renew its contract with Quintessentially (UK) Limited after that contract expires in May 2020.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The contract was procured prior to the formation of the Department for International Trade (DIT) by UK Shared Business Services who at the time managed UK Trade and Investment’s (UKTI) procurement activity. DIT took ownership of UKTI’s contracts on formation. UK Shared Business Services is a shared services provider and is jointly owned by the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy and UK Research and Innovation. UK Shared Business Services was responsible for adding the contract to Contracts Finder before responsibility for the contract was transferred to DIT. After DIT staff noticed the contract was not on Contracts Finder, in early 2019, the contract was added.
The Department are currently running a competitive procurement for a partner for inward investment services. This will replace the current contract with Quintessentially when it expires in May 2020. A notice was published on Contracts Finder and the Official Journal of the EU in January 2020 to inform the market of this opportunity.
Quintessentially won a competitive tender in 2016 which was carried out by UK Shared Business Service who at the time managed UKTI’s procurement activity.
Key performance indicators are designed to reflect the service required and are determined on a case-by-case basis.
DIT does not hold any other contracts with Quintessentially (UK) Limited in addition to the contract for the GREAT Investors Programme.
Asked by: Jon Trickett (Labour - Normanton and Hemsworth)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether the tendering process for the contract held with her Department by Quintessentially (UK) Limited was competitive and open to rival bids.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The contract was procured prior to the formation of the Department for International Trade (DIT) by UK Shared Business Services who at the time managed UK Trade and Investment’s (UKTI) procurement activity. DIT took ownership of UKTI’s contracts on formation. UK Shared Business Services is a shared services provider and is jointly owned by the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy and UK Research and Innovation. UK Shared Business Services was responsible for adding the contract to Contracts Finder before responsibility for the contract was transferred to DIT. After DIT staff noticed the contract was not on Contracts Finder, in early 2019, the contract was added.
The Department are currently running a competitive procurement for a partner for inward investment services. This will replace the current contract with Quintessentially when it expires in May 2020. A notice was published on Contracts Finder and the Official Journal of the EU in January 2020 to inform the market of this opportunity.
Quintessentially won a competitive tender in 2016 which was carried out by UK Shared Business Service who at the time managed UKTI’s procurement activity.
Key performance indicators are designed to reflect the service required and are determined on a case-by-case basis.
DIT does not hold any other contracts with Quintessentially (UK) Limited in addition to the contract for the GREAT Investors Programme.
Asked by: Jon Trickett (Labour - Normanton and Hemsworth)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether it is standard practice for her Department to include in its contracts with suppliers a key performance indicator that specifies that the contractor does not offer services that are not in line with government offering and reputational agreement.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The contract was procured prior to the formation of the Department for International Trade (DIT) by UK Shared Business Services who at the time managed UK Trade and Investment’s (UKTI) procurement activity. DIT took ownership of UKTI’s contracts on formation. UK Shared Business Services is a shared services provider and is jointly owned by the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy and UK Research and Innovation. UK Shared Business Services was responsible for adding the contract to Contracts Finder before responsibility for the contract was transferred to DIT. After DIT staff noticed the contract was not on Contracts Finder, in early 2019, the contract was added.
The Department are currently running a competitive procurement for a partner for inward investment services. This will replace the current contract with Quintessentially when it expires in May 2020. A notice was published on Contracts Finder and the Official Journal of the EU in January 2020 to inform the market of this opportunity.
Quintessentially won a competitive tender in 2016 which was carried out by UK Shared Business Service who at the time managed UKTI’s procurement activity.
Key performance indicators are designed to reflect the service required and are determined on a case-by-case basis.
DIT does not hold any other contracts with Quintessentially (UK) Limited in addition to the contract for the GREAT Investors Programme.
Asked by: Jon Trickett (Labour - Normanton and Hemsworth)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether her Department holds any other contracts with Quintessentially (UK) Limited in addition to the contract for the Great Investors Programme.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The contract was procured prior to the formation of the Department for International Trade (DIT) by UK Shared Business Services who at the time managed UK Trade and Investment’s (UKTI) procurement activity. DIT took ownership of UKTI’s contracts on formation. UK Shared Business Services is a shared services provider and is jointly owned by the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy and UK Research and Innovation. UK Shared Business Services was responsible for adding the contract to Contracts Finder before responsibility for the contract was transferred to DIT. After DIT staff noticed the contract was not on Contracts Finder, in early 2019, the contract was added.
The Department are currently running a competitive procurement for a partner for inward investment services. This will replace the current contract with Quintessentially when it expires in May 2020. A notice was published on Contracts Finder and the Official Journal of the EU in January 2020 to inform the market of this opportunity.
Quintessentially won a competitive tender in 2016 which was carried out by UK Shared Business Service who at the time managed UKTI’s procurement activity.
Key performance indicators are designed to reflect the service required and are determined on a case-by-case basis.
DIT does not hold any other contracts with Quintessentially (UK) Limited in addition to the contract for the GREAT Investors Programme.
Asked by: Jon Trickett (Labour - Normanton and Hemsworth)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how many visits has Quintessentially UK Limited (a) organised or (b) assisted as part of the Great Investors Programme.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Department for International Trade has a contract with Quintessentially UK to support the attraction of international investment into the UK. Quintessentially UK provides:
support with events and visits, advice on potential investors, introductions for international investors to UK companies, investor engagement strategies, and assurances on the reputation of investors engaged.
The table attached details a breakdown of the visits, events, and support Quintessentially has provided through the Great Investors Programme.
Asked by: Jon Trickett (Labour - Normanton and Hemsworth)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, with reference to the Channel 4 Dispatches programme of 28 October 2019, on what dates did meetings take place between officials at her department and US pharmaceutical firms.
Answered by Conor Burns
Departmental officials and Ministers regularly meet with businesses and stakeholders across a range of sectors in both the US and UK.
The government has been clear that the NHS is not, and never will be, for sale to the private sector, whether overseas or domestic. The government will continue to ensure that patients have access to the medicines they need, and that decisions on how to run public services are made by the UK government and the Devolved Administrations, not our trade partners.
Asked by: Jon Trickett (Labour - Normanton and Hemsworth)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, with reference to the Channel 4 Dispatches programme of 28 October 2019, which companies were represented at the meetings that took place between officials in her Department and US pharmaceutical firms.
Answered by Conor Burns
Departmental officials and Ministers regularly meet with businesses and stakeholders across a range of sectors in both the US and UK.
The government has been clear that the NHS is not, and never will be, for sale to the private sector, whether overseas or domestic. The government will continue to ensure that patients have access to the medicines they need, and that decisions on how to run public services are made by the UK government and the Devolved Administrations, not our trade partners.
Asked by: Jon Trickett (Labour - Normanton and Hemsworth)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, with reference to the Channel 4 Dispatches programme of 28 October 2019, whether Ministers from her Department were present at the meetings between officials from her Department and representatives of US pharmaceutical firms.
Answered by Conor Burns
Departmental officials and Ministers regularly meet with businesses and stakeholders across a range of sectors in both the US and UK.
The government has been clear that the NHS is not, and never will be, for sale to the private sector, whether overseas or domestic. The government will continue to ensure that patients have access to the medicines they need, and that decisions on how to run public services are made by the UK government and the Devolved Administrations, not our trade partners.
Asked by: Jon Trickett (Labour - Normanton and Hemsworth)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, with reference to the Channel 4 Dispatches programme of 28 October 2019, whether (a) she, (b) Ministers in her Department or (c) officials in her Department initiated the arrangement of the meetings between officials in her department and representatives of US pharmaceutical firms.
Answered by Conor Burns
Departmental officials and Ministers regularly meet with businesses and stakeholders across a range of sectors in both the US and UK.
The government has been clear that the NHS is not, and never will be, for sale to the private sector, whether overseas or domestic. The government will continue to ensure that patients have access to the medicines they need, and that decisions on how to run public services are made by the UK government and the Devolved Administrations, not our trade partners.