Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will make an assessment of the implications for his policies of the potential practice of public bodies using procurement to reduce costs and cost-shifting to other public sector budgets.

This Government knows that excellence in procurement practice is essential to delivering high quality services for the public.

The Sourcing Playbook sets out the Government's policies with regards to outsourcing.

Its introduction by this Conservative Government improves decision making and the quality of contracts government places with industry. The playbook is focussed on getting things right from the start, and includes 11 key policies which help government and industry work together to deliver high quality public services and emphasises that government contracts are let on the basis of value for money.