Michael Dugher
Main Page: Michael Dugher (Labour - Barnsley East)Department Debates - View all Michael Dugher's debates with the Cabinet Office
(12 years ago)
Commons ChamberRead Full debate Read Hansard Text Read Debate Ministerial Extracts
Miss Smith
I point to the fact that we are publishing for the first time a pipeline of projects and procurements that are available from the Government. There is £70 billion worth of opportunities available as of this year. That builds industry confidence to invest. I would also point to the way we are disaggregating ICT contracts, for example, which will allow them to be more flexible and cheaper for smaller firms to bid for. I note in passing that the Public Accounts Committee has said that the previous Government’s management of IT contracts was a recipe for a rip-off.
Michael Dugher (Barnsley East) (Lab)
In June this year the Minister for the Cabinet Office launched the Government procurement Solutions Exchange website, saying that it was
“an easy, informal way for smaller firms to find out about emerging opportunities”.
It all sounded very promising. Is he aware that for the past two months SMEs, when logging on to the website, have been greeted by the words, “Nothing available at this time”? You could not make it up. Why is that? Does not the phrase “Nothing available at this time” neatly sum up the Government’s complete lack of support for SMEs?
Miss Smith
I will tell you what is not available at this time, Mr Speaker: an Opposition policy to deal with any of that.