Overseas Companies: UK-registered Subsidiaries

Lord Brennan of Canton Excerpts

Monday 17th March 2025 Lords Chamber

[Lord Leong (Lab)]

That was probably before the Procurement Act. Under the Act, companies that have been excluded will not be allowed to bid for any government contracts. Any companies found to be bid rigging will be debarred from bidding for any public contracts. We have come a long way. The Act has just come into force. Let us allow the Act to take its place and ensure that, whoever bids for the contract, they do so with the value for money that the Government are looking for.

[Lord Brennan of Canton (Lab)]

My Lords, is the issue of companies domiciled overseas which have set up a UK-registered subsidiary likely to feature in the upcoming potential trade talks with the United States of America? If so, what will the UK Government’s position be?

[Lord Leong (Lab)]

As I said in my earlier answer, if there is a free trade agreement with a particular country and it is a member of the WTO, we cannot prevent any other companies that are domiciled overseas with a registered company bidding for public contracts. Likewise, we would not want British companies to be debarred from bidding for international contracts, which amount to around £1.3 trillion.