Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps his Department is taking to help increase opportunities for fulfilment companies in Ashfield to secure Government contracts.
Answered by Jacob Rees-Mogg
Small and medium-sized businesses are the backbone of the UK economy. That is why we are making sure Government spending supports this vital sector, both as part of our economic recovery from COVID-19 and as part of our levelling up agenda. We are increasing opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in a variety of ways - from transparently publishing contract pipelines to simplifying bidding processes.
These measures are working. The latest procurement figures for 2019/20 show that £15.5bn was paid to small and medium sized businesses to help deliver vital public services. This figure is an increase of £1.3bn on the previous year and the highest since records began in 2013.
Now we have left the EU, we are able to redesign our procurement framework to create a simpler regime which will be of great benefit to UK SMEs.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the effect of the UK no longer being bound by common EU positions on British delegates' positions on domestic policy at Conferences of Parties within the UN treaty system.
Answered by Michael Ellis
Leaving the EU and the agreement of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) means that the UK has full political and economic independence. The Government is using this opportunity to show what Global Britain means to the rest of the world and play our part as a global leader. We shall do so by advancing UK policies internationally, including through Conferences of Parties within the UN treaty system.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will publish the (a) statutory and (b) non-statutory public inquiries being undertaken by his Department.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
The Cabinet Office is responsible for two independent statutory public inquiries; the Grenfell Tower Inquiry and the Infected Blood Inquiry. The department has no non-statutory inquiries currently underway.