Cabinet Office

Monday 18th June 2012 Ministerial Corrections

Government Contracts

The following is the answer given by the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General, the right hon. Member for Horsham (Mr Maude), to the supplementary question to number 110353 asked by the hon. Member for Colne Valley (Jason McCartney) during Cabinet Office Question Time on 13 June 2012.

[Jason McCartney]

How can SMEs in my constituency find out more about how to do more business with the Government?

[Mr Maude]

By looking at the Contracts Finder website, which is the main source of Government contracts over £100,000. That is the place where they should look, and I hope that they will, but since February 2011, when we announced our new approach, about a third of new contracts have already been awarded to SMEs.

[Official Report, 13 June 2012, Vol. 546, c. 308.]

Letter of correction from Francis Maude:

An error has been identified in the oral answer given on 13 June 2012 to the hon. Member for Colne Valley (Jason McCartney).

The correct answer should have been:

[Mr Maude]

By looking at the Contracts Finder website, which is the main source of Government contracts over £10,000. That is the place where they should look, and I hope that they will, but since February 2011, when we announced our new approach, about a third of new contracts have already been awarded to SMEs.