Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps (a) his Department and (b) Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service are taking to ensure externally provided services are (i) competitively tendered and (ii) secure value for money.

The MoJ is subject to the Public Contract Regulations 2015. The Regulations set out clear parameters on when goods and services need to be procured through competitive tenders. The MoJ fully comply with the Regulations.

The MoJ is subject to the Managing Public Money guidance. The guidance set out clear principles for investment decisions, including maximisation of value for money. The MoJ Accounting Officer fully complies with the guidance principles and reports any exception as stated by the guidance. For competitive tenders, when practical, the MoJ awards contracts to the most economically advantageous or lowest priced tender to secure value for money.