Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many Government contracts currently held by businesses based in Lancashire may be subject to future Public Interest Tests.

This Labour Government is committed to delivering the biggest wave of insourcing of public services in a generation, ending outsourcing by default.

On 17 June, the Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister, the Chancellor and I introduced a new Public Interest Test. From April 2027, departments will assess whether a service can be better delivered in-house before any outsourcing decision is made. This will apply to service contracts of £1 million and above with some limited exceptions for specific types of contracts. Departments will also publish insourcing strategies setting out their medium term plans to deliver services in-house.

The Cabinet Office has not made an assessment of the number of government contracts held by businesses in Lancashire that may be subject to a Public Interest Test.