Asked by: Pam Cox (Labour - Colchester)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the prohibition of two-tier workforce regulations will be applied to all NHS- funded outsourced contracts since 4 July 2024; and whether he has asked NHS England to provide guidance to NHS organisations..
Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The Employment Rights Bill, once in force, will provide powers to make regulations to introduce provisions for new protections for transferring workers in relevant outsourcing contracts. The provisions will apply to contracting authorities as defined in the Procurement Act 2023, which includes NHS bodies, subject to exceptions that will be set out in regulations. The regulations will be developed in due course and will not apply retrospectively. The Procurement Act 2023 does not apply to the procurement of health care services, which are regulated by DHSC’s Provider Selection Regime.
Asked by: Pam Cox (Labour - Colchester)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he is satisfied that the decision by East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust to outsource staff at Colchester hospital meets the requirements that (a) social value is mandatory within contract design and that (b) public bodies carry out a public interest test when considering procurement options, in the context of the Make Work Pay programme.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.