Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will take steps along with the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy to plan reform of public procurement rules in order to support strategic industries after the UK leaves the EU.

The current public procurement rules will continue to apply until the UK has left the EU following the successful conclusion of exit negotiations. The longer-term options for our procurement regulations are being considered carefully.

We are already working with the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy to support strategic industries within the existing procurement rules. For example, we have published guidelines for departments to apply on major projects when sourcing and buying steel to open up the steel market; level the playing field for UK business; improve visibility of opportunities on major projects; and stimulate competition:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/procurement-policy-note-1615-procuring-steel-in-major-projects

We have also published a Balanced Scorecard guide, designed to help public procurers in balancing straightforward matters such as cost against more complex issues, such as social and wider economic considerations when designing their procurement approaches:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/procurement-policy-note-0916-procuring-for-growth-balanced-scorecard