Overseas Companies: UK-registered Subsidiaries

Earl of Courtown Excerpts

Monday 17th March 2025 Lords Chamber

[Lord Leong (Lab)]

What a question. I am afraid I was not in the House when what is now the Procurement Act was going through. Nevertheless, we will bring the noble Lord’s concern to officials in my department.

[The Earl of Courtown (Con)]

My Lords, following my noble friend’s Question, does the Minister’s department have a list of countries in which UK companies are not allowed to bid for public procurement projects? What conversations are the Government having with these countries’ Governments?

[Lord Leong (Lab)]

I thank the noble Lord for that point. The Procurement Act 2023 allows, for the first time ever, the Government to have a list of companies that are debarred from submitting bids for any public contracts. That said, there has always been an exclusion list of companies that have committed fraud or anti-competitive practices. This is done by each individual department. Companies bidding for this will be told that they will not be successful because they are excluded from contracts. We have come a long way from exclusion to debarment, and this list is now in the early stages of being compiled.