Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if his Department will take steps to encourage local authorities to adopt an outcomes-based approach to procurement to help (a) tackle societal challenges and (b) (i) small businesses and (ii) start-ups to win more contracts.

Local authorities are independent contracting authorities and are therefore responsible for their own procurement decisions. In doing this, they must of course, comply with the legislative framework. This includes considering social value under the Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012. This requires public authorities, including local authorities, to have regard to economic, social and environmental well-being in connection to public services contracts. Local authorities extend this this all contracts through the National Procurement Strategy.