Asked by: Clive Lewis (Labour - Norwich South)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether his Department is taking steps to prevent public contracts from being awarded to companies that blacklist workers.
Answered by Alex Burghart - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The Public Contracts Regulations 2015 contain exclusion grounds which allow contracting authorities to exclude suppliers from procurements where their tender does not comply with labour law or where the supplier is guilty of grave professional misconduct.
For example, a breach of the The Employment Relations Act 1999 (Blacklists) Regulations 2010, which prohibit the compilation, usage, sale or supply of blacklists of trade union members and activists, would render the supplier liable to potential exclusion.
In all cases, individual departments and other public sector bodies are responsible for their own decisions on these matters.
The Procurement Act, which is expected to go live in October 2024, builds on and clarifies the exclusions measures in the existing regime. This includes specific measures enabling the exclusion of suppliers for professional misconduct.
Asked by: Lloyd Russell-Moyle (Labour (Co-op) - Brighton, Kemptown)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps his Department is taking to prevent public contracts being awarded to companies that blacklist workers.
Answered by Alex Burghart - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The Public Contracts Regulations 2015 contain exclusion grounds which allow contracting authorities to exclude suppliers from procurements where their tender does not comply with labour law or where the supplier is guilty of grave professional misconduct.
For example, a breach of the The Employment Relations Act 1999 (Blacklists) Regulations 2010, which prohibit the compilation, usage, sale or supply of blacklists of trade union members and activists, would render the supplier liable to potential exclusion.
In all cases, individual departments and other public sector bodies are responsible for their own decisions on these matters.
The Procurement Act, which is expected to go live in October 2024, builds on and clarifies the exclusions measures in the existing regime. This includes specific measures enabling the exclusion of suppliers for professional misconduct.
Asked by: Charlotte Nichols (Labour - Warrington North)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he is taking steps to ensure that that public contracts are not awarded to companies that blacklist workers.
Answered by Alex Burghart - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The Public Contracts Regulations 2015 contain exclusion grounds which allow contracting authorities to exclude suppliers from procurements where their tender does not comply with labour law or where the supplier is guilty of grave professional misconduct.
For example, a breach of the The Employment Relations Act 1999 (Blacklists) Regulations 2010, which prohibit the compilation, usage, sale or supply of blacklists of trade union members and activists, would render the supplier liable to potential exclusion.
In all cases, individual departments and other public sector bodies are responsible for their own decisions on these matters.
The Procurement Act, which is expected to go live in October 2024, builds on and clarifies the exclusions measures in the existing regime. This includes specific measures enabling the exclusion of suppliers for professional misconduct.
Asked by: Gordon Henderson (Conservative - Sittingbourne and Sheppey)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the NHS England net zero supplier roadmap, for what reason NHS England’s (a) target date for reaching net zero emissions by 2045 and (b) scope to include reporting of global emissions differ from the requirements laid out in the guidance entitled Procurement Policy Note 06/21: Taking account of Carbon Reduction Plans in the procurement of major government contracts.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Health and Care Act 2022 compels the National Health Service to take action on climate and environmental issues, including by reducing its emissions. The NHS is committed to reducing its environmental impact, whilst delivering the best possible patient care and outcomes, as well as the best possible value for taxpayers.
The Climate Change Act 2008 requires all areas of the public sector to reduce their emissions, although the pace of change will differ between different segments of the public sector, depending on cost, feasibility, and innovation. The NHS in England has committed to reaching Net Zero by 2045. To achieve these goals, the NHS will require the support of its suppliers. In 2021, NHS England published the NHS Net Zero Supplier Roadmap, which sets out a series of milestones to support NHS suppliers in aligning with the NHS’s Net Zero ambitions. Further information is available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/greenernhs/get-involved/suppliers/
The latest milestone, implemented from April 2024, sets out Carbon Reduction Plan (CRP) requirements for NHS suppliers aligned to the Procurement Policy Note (PPN) 06/21. As set out in PPN 06/21, NHS suppliers’ CRPs need to cover, at a minimum, their emissions in the United Kingdom, and outline their commitment to achieve Net Zero by 2050.
NHS England launched the Evergreen Sustainable Supplier Assessment in June 2023, which enables a two-way conversion with suppliers and the NHS. This online, voluntary self-assessment and reporting tool allows suppliers to understand how to align with the NHS Net Zero and sustainability ambitions. NHS England will continue to engage with regulators, suppliers, and industry bodies ahead of implementing future roadmap milestones, to inform policy development. Guidance setting out the detailed requirements of April 2027 will take into account suppliers’ feedback and readiness, and NHS England will aim to publish it well in advance of April 2027 to ensure suppliers have sufficient time to prepare.
Asked by: Gordon Henderson (Conservative - Sittingbourne and Sheppey)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the level of alignment of NHS suppliers with NHS England’s requirement for suppliers to commit globally by 2027 to achieve net zero in 2045.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Health and Care Act 2022 compels the National Health Service to take action on climate and environmental issues, including by reducing its emissions. The NHS is committed to reducing its environmental impact, whilst delivering the best possible patient care and outcomes, as well as the best possible value for taxpayers.
The Climate Change Act 2008 requires all areas of the public sector to reduce their emissions, although the pace of change will differ between different segments of the public sector, depending on cost, feasibility, and innovation. The NHS in England has committed to reaching Net Zero by 2045. To achieve these goals, the NHS will require the support of its suppliers. In 2021, NHS England published the NHS Net Zero Supplier Roadmap, which sets out a series of milestones to support NHS suppliers in aligning with the NHS’s Net Zero ambitions. Further information is available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/greenernhs/get-involved/suppliers/
The latest milestone, implemented from April 2024, sets out Carbon Reduction Plan (CRP) requirements for NHS suppliers aligned to the Procurement Policy Note (PPN) 06/21. As set out in PPN 06/21, NHS suppliers’ CRPs need to cover, at a minimum, their emissions in the United Kingdom, and outline their commitment to achieve Net Zero by 2050.
NHS England launched the Evergreen Sustainable Supplier Assessment in June 2023, which enables a two-way conversion with suppliers and the NHS. This online, voluntary self-assessment and reporting tool allows suppliers to understand how to align with the NHS Net Zero and sustainability ambitions. NHS England will continue to engage with regulators, suppliers, and industry bodies ahead of implementing future roadmap milestones, to inform policy development. Guidance setting out the detailed requirements of April 2027 will take into account suppliers’ feedback and readiness, and NHS England will aim to publish it well in advance of April 2027 to ensure suppliers have sufficient time to prepare.
Asked by: Christian Wakeford (Labour - Bury South)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps she is taking to help increase domestic steel production.
Answered by Alan Mak - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade) (jointly with the Cabinet Office)
The Government recognises the vital role that steel plays within the UK and has taken steps to increase competitiveness and a level playing field. We have provided over £730 million in energy cost relief since 2013; the British Industry Supercharger is now in place to reduce energy costs. The sector has been able to bid for Government funds worth hundreds of millions of pounds to support energy efficiency and decarbonisation, and we have announced a joint £1.25bn investment project with Tata Steel.
We have a robust trade remedies framework to protect domestic industries, including steel, from unfair trading practices and unforeseen surges in imports. Last April, we published an updated public procurement note to help the UK steel sector be well positioned when competing for public contracts. The Government is consulting on a UK CBAM to tackle carbon leakage risk.
Asked by: Baroness Jones of Whitchurch (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether national security clearance was sought by the Science and Technology Facilities Council, and approved, before purchasing the Lenovo supercomputer from a Chinese electronics company.
Answered by Viscount Camrose - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The government has been clear that when tensions arise between its objectives in relation to China, national security will always come first. This procurement took place through a robust public sector procurement process with all necessary qualifying security criteria
The UK's world leading cyber security experts are providing the necessary support and advice to assure the security of the system, as is normal.
Asked by: Derek Thomas (Conservative - St Ives)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to encourage (a) schools, (b) prisons and (c) hospitals to serve British-caught fish.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government has consulted on changes to the Government Buying Standards for Food and Catering Services (GBSF), including increasing the sourcing of local and sustainable food. The consultation sought views on sourcing, where possible, a diverse range of seasonally available seafood species from locally caught or produced sources. As the Government response to the consultation has not yet been published, it is too soon to pre-empt any specific findings.
We have also now appointed an independent advisor to support the Government’s ongoing work to improve food procurement in the public sector and make the system more accessible to small- and medium-sized businesses and, subject to domestic and international legal obligations, explore the benefits of and steps to getting more local-caught fish into schools, prisons and hospitals.
Asked by: Kevan Jones (Labour - North Durham)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what was the procurement process for the awarding of the contract by Post Office Limited to TB Cardew in 2019.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Information on Post Office’s contract with TB Cardew can be accessed here - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/notice/a6c99396-8da9-419f-a9df-284360e2b765?origin=SearchResults&p=1
Post Office’s management, together with the Board of Directors, are responsible for running Post Office day-to-day and taking commercial decisions.
As a public sector organisation Post Office is bound by the Public Contracts Regulations 2015. Post Office’s procurement policy is reviewed regularly by the Post Office Board and the Board scrutinises procurements that are high-value or novel and/or contentious. In addition, as per the Articles of Association Post Office requires the prior written consent of the Shareholder for any undertaking to incur any expenditure in excess of £50 million.
Asked by: Kevan Jones (Labour - North Durham)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what is the (a) purpose and (b) value of Post Office Limited's contract with TB Cardew.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Information on Post Office’s contract with TB Cardew can be accessed here - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/notice/a6c99396-8da9-419f-a9df-284360e2b765?origin=SearchResults&p=1
Post Office’s management, together with the Board of Directors, are responsible for running Post Office day-to-day and taking commercial decisions.
As a public sector organisation Post Office is bound by the Public Contracts Regulations 2015. Post Office’s procurement policy is reviewed regularly by the Post Office Board and the Board scrutinises procurements that are high-value or novel and/or contentious. In addition, as per the Articles of Association Post Office requires the prior written consent of the Shareholder for any undertaking to incur any expenditure in excess of £50 million.