Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Oliver Dowden and Mike Wood

Wednesday 28th March 2018 Commons Chamber

[Mike Wood (Dudley South) (Con)]

11. What steps his Department is taking to support the use of small businesses in Government procurement.

[The Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office (Oliver Dowden)]

Small businesses are the engine of our economy and we are determined that they should get their fair share of Government contracts, which is why we have set an ambitious aspiration for a third of procurement spend to be with small and medium-sized enterprises by 2022. We will shortly announce further measures to help us to achieve that target.

--- Later in debate ---

[Mike Wood]

Small businesses in Dudley South have shown that they can compete with the biggest names in the world. Will the Minister help them to compete for Government contracts by publishing all contracts worth more than £10,000 on the Contracts Finder website?

[Oliver Dowden]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right, and all contracts worth more than £10,000 are published on the Contracts Finder website. Indeed, more than 25,000 organisations are currently registered with Contracts Finder, of which 64% are small and medium-sized enterprises.