Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he plans to take with Cabinet colleagues to use public procurement to help support the growth of British industries based in Newport West constituency.

The Government wants businesses from every corner of the UK to be successful in bidding for UK public contracts.

We are reforming the procurement rules to make it simpler, quicker and cheaper for suppliers, including SMEs and social enterprises, to bid for public sector contracts. The Welsh Government has confirmed that it will join the reforms.

The reforms will support the Government’s levelling up priorities by making it easier for public sector buyers to take account of social value when awarding contracts.

Under the Government’s Social Value policy, contracting authorities can already set rigorous environmental and social standards, and other criteria, that play to the strengths of supply chains who can meet those standards. The scope to take societal benefits into account when awarding contracts will be increased, playing to the strengths of UK firms who are well placed to deliver benefits.