Oral Answers to Questions

Mark Menzies Excerpts

Wednesday 29th January 2014 Commons Chamber

[David Rutley (Macclesfield) (Con)]

2. What steps he is taking to improve commercial skills in the civil service.

[Mark Menzies (Fylde) (Con)]

6. What steps he is taking to improve commercial skills in the civil service.

[Andrew Selous (South West Bedfordshire) (Con)]

7. What steps he is taking to improve commercial skills in the civil service.

--- Later in debate ---

[Mr Maude]

I recently attended the one-year-on event of the new Commissioning Academy, which we set up a year ago. It has achieved a good deal. During the next 18 months, we want 1,500 senior public sector commissioners to have participated in the academy. It is part of a wider programme to improve commercial skills not only in Whitehall but right across the public sector.

[Mark Menzies]

What assessment has my right hon. Friend made of the work of the Crown representatives in driving value for money for taxpayers through procurement reform?

[Mr Maude]

Our Crown representatives, who come predominantly from the private sector with a huge amount of commercial experience, have helped us to generate significant efficiencies. We buy better if we act as a single customer in Government, to maximise our buying power and improve our performance as a customer. We are renegotiating contracts with a number of suppliers, and by centrally renegotiating we have saved the taxpayer £800 million in each of the financial years during this Parliament.