External Private Contractors: Government Use and Employment
Debate between Mark Pritchard and Julia Lopez(3 years, 6 months ago)
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Julia Lopez
I do not think I have time to give way. Mr Pritchard, what time does the debate finish?
Julia Lopez
I want to leave time for the hon. Member for Liverpool, Wavertree to respond, so I will not give way.
There will always be situations where it makes sense to use contractors, working alongside our high-quality civil servants, to deliver specialist advice and services and to tackle short-notice urgent requirements where the civil service does not have sufficient capacity. We also need to reverse the trend we have seen over recent years, which has eroded civil service capability and led to an over-reliance on consultants and other contractors.
Hon. Members raised a number of other issues today about outsourcing and I am happy to take them away. I thank the hon. Member for Liverpool, Wavertree again for her thoughtful contribution.