Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, in relation to the draft Statutory Code of Practice on Dismissal and Re-engagement, what procedures the Government plans to follow where employers engaged in Government procurement contracts are found to have fallen foul of that code.

The Government is currently consulting on a draft Code of Practice to address dismissal and re-engagement. The Government has made clear to all employers that threats of dismissal and re-engagement should not be used as a negotiation tactic.

Public procurement policy is subject to a legal framework which encourages free and open competition and value for money, in line with internationally and nationally agreed obligations and regulations.