Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Mark Pawsey and Peter Aldous

Thursday 29th February 2024 Commons Chamber

[Mark Pawsey (Rugby) (Con)]

7. What steps his Department is taking to improve access to public sector procurement processes for small and medium-sized businesses.

[Peter Aldous (Waveney) (Con)]

12. What steps his Department is taking to improve access to public sector procurement processes for small and medium-sized businesses.

[The Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office (Alex Burghart)]

The landmark Procurement Act 2023, which this Government passed last year, will deliver simpler and more effective public sector procurement and help small and medium-sized enterprises across the country secure a greater share of that expenditure, which totals approximately £300 billion every year. The Act includes a new duty on contracting authorities to have regard for the particular barriers faced by SMEs and consider what can be done to overcome them.