Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Young of Cookham on 5 February (HL13233), what was their assessment of the spot checks carried out by (1) the Mystery Shopper Service, and (2) the Public Procurement Review Service; and what actions were taken as a result.

Of the spot checks on compliance with Regulation 113 (7) of the Public Contracting Regulations 2015 the Mystery Shopper team identified an initial 32% compliance rate 2015/16. After the team reminded the bodies concerned that they are required to comply with the Public Contracts Regulations 2015, there was an increase in compliance to 80% December 2018. All public bodies not complying with the regulations were notified of their obligation to do so

The Mystery Shopper team was renamed the Public Procurement Review Service (PPRS) team in November 2018. Results for the PPRS are yet to be fully assessed.

A summary of the findings from spot checks conducted by the PPRS team will be included in the PPRS Progress Report, which will be published later this year.