Asked by: Lord Hain (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord True on 25 January (HL5539), in respect of the Cabinet Office’s contract with Bain & Company, reference CCCC18A29-01, (1) what was the procurement process, (2) what work was delivered, and (3) what evaluation of the (a) quality, and (b) value for money, of that work they undertook at the completion of the contract.
Answered by Lord True - Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
This question relates to two contracts with BAIN and Company (BAIN): CCCC18A29 and CCCC20A01. These contracts formed part of a portfolio of contracts managed by Cabinet Office in order to support Brexit and Transition Period work across government. The former contract was varied to include COVID-19 response work and was part of the cross-government response. Both contracts are now closed.
The below information is publicly available.
CCCC18A29 was a call-off contract, awarded following a further competition via a framework agreement. The contract was awarded for a total value of £20m and commenced in April 2018; this included a one year £10m extension option, which was exercised. Additionally, the contract was varied for an additional £5m in March 2019. In March 2020, this contract was extended for four additional months and varied to include COVID-19 response work. The contract ended in August 2019, with a total spend of £12.9m.
This contract was used to provide strategic advisory and analytical services to Departments, in regards to the planning and development of policies and programmes. The scope was limited to Brexit and Covid-19 response work.
Work was evaluated on a project by project basis at the business unit level to assess quality of outcomes. This fed into the Cabinet Office’s regular supplier performance reviews.
CCCC20A01 was a call-off contract, awarded following a further competition via a framework agreement. The contract was awarded for a total value of £30m and commenced in September 2020. This included a one year £10m extension option, which was not exercised. The contract was closed in August 2021, with a total spend of £1m.
This contract was used to provide strategic advisory and analytical services to Departments, in regards to the planning and development of policies and programmes. The scope was limited to Transition Period work.
Work was evaluated on a project by project basis at the business unit level to assess quality of outcomes. This fed into the Cabinet Office’s regular supplier performance reviews.
Asked by: Lord Hain (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord True on 25 January (HL5539), in respect of the Cabinet Office’s contract with Bain & Company, reference CCCC18A29 L1 PSP2, (1) what was the procurement process, (2) what work was delivered, and (3) what evaluation of the (a) quality, and (b) value for money, of that work they undertook at the completion of the contract.
Answered by Lord True - Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
This question relates to two contracts with BAIN and Company (BAIN): CCCC18A29 and CCCC20A01. These contracts formed part of a portfolio of contracts managed by Cabinet Office in order to support Brexit and Transition Period work across government. The former contract was varied to include COVID-19 response work and was part of the cross-government response. Both contracts are now closed.
The below information is publicly available.
CCCC18A29 was a call-off contract, awarded following a further competition via a framework agreement. The contract was awarded for a total value of £20m and commenced in April 2018; this included a one year £10m extension option, which was exercised. Additionally, the contract was varied for an additional £5m in March 2019. In March 2020, this contract was extended for four additional months and varied to include COVID-19 response work. The contract ended in August 2019, with a total spend of £12.9m.
This contract was used to provide strategic advisory and analytical services to Departments, in regards to the planning and development of policies and programmes. The scope was limited to Brexit and Covid-19 response work.
Work was evaluated on a project by project basis at the business unit level to assess quality of outcomes. This fed into the Cabinet Office’s regular supplier performance reviews.
CCCC20A01 was a call-off contract, awarded following a further competition via a framework agreement. The contract was awarded for a total value of £30m and commenced in September 2020. This included a one year £10m extension option, which was not exercised. The contract was closed in August 2021, with a total spend of £1m.
This contract was used to provide strategic advisory and analytical services to Departments, in regards to the planning and development of policies and programmes. The scope was limited to Transition Period work.
Work was evaluated on a project by project basis at the business unit level to assess quality of outcomes. This fed into the Cabinet Office’s regular supplier performance reviews.
Asked by: Lord Hain (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord True on 25 January (HL5539), in respect of the Cabinet Office’s contract with Bain & Company, reference CCCC20A01-04, (1) what was the procurement process, (2) what work was delivered, and (3) what evaluation of the (a) quality, and (b) value for money, of that work they undertook at the completion of the contract.
Answered by Lord True - Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
This question relates to two contracts with BAIN and Company (BAIN): CCCC18A29 and CCCC20A01. These contracts formed part of a portfolio of contracts managed by Cabinet Office in order to support Brexit and Transition Period work across government. The former contract was varied to include COVID-19 response work and was part of the cross-government response. Both contracts are now closed.
The below information is publicly available.
CCCC18A29 was a call-off contract, awarded following a further competition via a framework agreement. The contract was awarded for a total value of £20m and commenced in April 2018; this included a one year £10m extension option, which was exercised. Additionally, the contract was varied for an additional £5m in March 2019. In March 2020, this contract was extended for four additional months and varied to include COVID-19 response work. The contract ended in August 2019, with a total spend of £12.9m.
This contract was used to provide strategic advisory and analytical services to Departments, in regards to the planning and development of policies and programmes. The scope was limited to Brexit and Covid-19 response work.
Work was evaluated on a project by project basis at the business unit level to assess quality of outcomes. This fed into the Cabinet Office’s regular supplier performance reviews.
CCCC20A01 was a call-off contract, awarded following a further competition via a framework agreement. The contract was awarded for a total value of £30m and commenced in September 2020. This included a one year £10m extension option, which was not exercised. The contract was closed in August 2021, with a total spend of £1m.
This contract was used to provide strategic advisory and analytical services to Departments, in regards to the planning and development of policies and programmes. The scope was limited to Transition Period work.
Work was evaluated on a project by project basis at the business unit level to assess quality of outcomes. This fed into the Cabinet Office’s regular supplier performance reviews.
Asked by: Lord Hain (Labour - Life peer)
Question
To ask the Leader of the House, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Evans of Bowes Park on 26 January (HL5538), what assessment they have made of (1) whether, and (2) how, the Written Answers by Lord True on 10 January (HL5119) and 18 January (HL5234, HL5235, HL5236 and HL5360) conform to the criteria set out in the Written Answer.
Answered by Baroness Evans of Bowes Park
I have noted the questions referenced, as well as the Noble Lord’s three further questions submitted to the department in question (HL5696, HL5697, HL5698). I would refer the Noble Lord to the recently issued answers to these from the department.
Asked by: Lord Hain (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the analysis by the Boat Group, which found that UK (1) new, and (2) used, boat sales grew by 9 per cent in 2020; and what assessment they have made of the link, if any, between the purchase of such yachts and the payment of furlough money.
Answered by Baroness Penn - Minister on Leave (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State)
The objective of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) was to support businesses to preserve employer-employee matches by providing a mechanism to pay the wages of furloughed employees. Through easing the financial burden, the CJRS aimed to support jobs, reduce the risk of permanent business closures (supporting those that had temporarily ceased or reduced trading), and reduce the risk of large losses in incomes, through wage support to furloughed employees. In doing these things, the CJRS sought to reduce the risk of long-term labour market scarring, maintain the UK economy’s productive capacity through the crisis, and facilitate and support a smoother economic recovery.
Asked by: Lord Hain (Labour - Life peer)
Question
To ask the Leader of the House, further to the Written Answers by Lord True on 10 January (HL5119) and 18 January (HL5234, HL5235, HL5236 and HL5360), what assessment she has made of the extent to which Ministers answer written questions from Members of the House comprehensively; and what steps she is taking to support the requirement of the Ministerial Code that “Ministers should be as open as possible with Parliament and the public” in respect of answers to written questions.
Answered by Baroness Evans of Bowes Park
As Leader of the House I take very seriously the responsibility incumbent on all Ministers to provide full, timely and comprehensive answers to Questions for Written Answers.
Ministers are reminded regularly of the importance of their obligations to the House and under the ministerial code. My office works closely with all departmental Parliamentary teams and Private Offices to help provide advice on what is expected of them in providing such answers.
Asked by: Lord Hain (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answers by Lord True on 10 January (HL5119) and 18 January (HL5234, HL5235, HL5236 and HL5360), whether they will now answer the questions fully by (1) listing in the text of their answer the contracts they have entered into with Bain & Company since June 2010 and the lead department for each contract, and (2) setting out what assessment they have made, if any, of the report of the South African Judicial Commission of Inquiry into State Capture: Part 1, published on 5 January.
Answered by Lord True - Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
Cabinet Office does not hold a central record of contracts awarded by departments.
Details of Government contracts above £10,000 are published on Contracts Finder (https://www.gov.uk/contracts-finder). Accounting records are required to be kept for six years.
Cabinet Office is considering the report of the South African Judicial Commission of Inquiry into State Capture: Part 1.
Asked by: Lord Hain (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord True on 10 January (HL5119), whether they will now answer the question put, namely what plans they have to suspend the contracts of Bain & Company with government departments in light of the finding that Bain & Company acted "unlawfully".
Answered by Lord True - Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
Details of Government contracts above £10,000 are published on Contracts Finder: https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Search.
Individual contracts will contain clauses covering the conditions under which a contract may be terminated. It is for the contracting authority to determine what those conditions may be.
The grounds for the exclusion of bidders from public procurement procedures are set out in the Public Contracts Regulations 2015. These rules set out the circumstances in which bidders must, or may, be excluded from a public procurement process. Individual contracting authorities are responsible for their own decisions on these matters.
Asked by: Lord Hain (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord True on 10 January (HL5119), what assessment they have made of the report Judicial Commission of Inquiry into State Capture: Part 1, published on 5 January, in particular the finding that Bain & Company acted "unlawfully" and that legal proceedings should be taken against them.
Answered by Lord True - Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
Details of Government contracts above £10,000 are published on Contracts Finder: https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Search.
Individual contracts will contain clauses covering the conditions under which a contract may be terminated. It is for the contracting authority to determine what those conditions may be.
The grounds for the exclusion of bidders from public procurement procedures are set out in the Public Contracts Regulations 2015. These rules set out the circumstances in which bidders must, or may, be excluded from a public procurement process. Individual contracting authorities are responsible for their own decisions on these matters.
Asked by: Lord Hain (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord True on 10 January (HL5119), what assessment they have made of the report Judicial Commission of Inquiry into State Capture: Part 1, published 5 on January, in particular the finding that Bain & Company acted "unlawfully"; and what plans they have to ensure that no government departments will enter into fresh contracts with Bain & Company.
Answered by Lord True - Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
Details of Government contracts above £10,000 are published on Contracts Finder: https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Search.
Individual contracts will contain clauses covering the conditions under which a contract may be terminated. It is for the contracting authority to determine what those conditions may be.
The grounds for the exclusion of bidders from public procurement procedures are set out in the Public Contracts Regulations 2015. These rules set out the circumstances in which bidders must, or may, be excluded from a public procurement process. Individual contracting authorities are responsible for their own decisions on these matters.