Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the effect on value for the taxpayer of a small number of large companies dominating the market for tendered government contracts.

The Government awards contracts through fair and open competition, in line with principles of equal treatment, transparency and non-discrimination. To encourage competition and more access by SMEs to government contracts, we now require public buyers to divide contracts into more accessible lots (or explain why not) so that tender requirements can be matched to smaller businesses’ specialisms.