Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what criteria the Government uses to award contracts to private companies.

Public sector procurers are required to assess value for money using criteria linked to the subject matter of the contract, including compliance with the published specification.

Regulations covering selection and award criteria are included in the Public Contracts Regulations 2015:

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2015/102/contents/made