Asked by: Lord Bailey of Paddington (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to amend public procurement rules and procedures to allow building contractors to be involved with housing development schemes at an early stage.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The current procurement rules, which came into force on 24 February 2025, encourage contracting authorities to engage with the market before commencing a procurement. 5,000 pre-market engagement notices have now been published. This engagement is of particular importance under the new rules, where contracting authorities have significant flexibility to design and tailor their competitive procurement procedures.
We have consulted on procurement reforms to further boost domestic supply chains and create more opportunities for businesses across the UK, including across the housing sector. We will be publishing the consultation outcome - and legislative proposals - soon.
Asked by: Lord Bailey of Paddington (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what communications they have had with Westminster City Council about whether the Deputy Prime Minister's official residence in Admiralty House is registered with the council as a second home.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
As has been the case under successive administrations, the Cabinet Office is responsible for liaising with Westminster City Council for matters concerning residency at Admiralty House. The Deputy Prime Minister’s council tax responsibility is properly discharged.
Asked by: Lord Bailey of Paddington (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to evaluate arm's-length bodies; whether quasi-autonomous non-governmental organisations will be subject to such evaluations; and if so, against what criteria they will be evaluated.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Independent public body reviews are one of our most effective levers to drive improvement and ensure public bodies deliver value for the taxpayer.The Cabinet Office guidance on the undertaking and requirements for reviews of public bodies is published on gov.uk, and was last updated in April 2024.