Oral Answers to Questions
Debate between Lord Bellingham and Chloe Smith
Wednesday 6th February 2013
Read Full debate Read Hansard Text Read Debate Ministerial Extracts
(11 years, 10 months ago)
Commons ChamberRead Full debate Read Hansard Text Read Debate Ministerial Extracts
Mr Henry Bellingham (North West Norfolk) (Con)
T7. Further to the question asked by my hon. Friend the Member for Epping Forest (Mrs Laing) about small and medium-sized enterprise procurement, does the Minister agree that it is not just a question of giving contracts to small firms but that it is essential that the public sector pays its bills on time?
The Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office (Miss Chloe Smith)
I fully agree with my hon. Friend. He is absolutely right: not only are hundreds of contract opportunities being made available for SMEs, but the Government are a fair payment champion, recognised by external bodies for their behaviour, just as he said.