Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many suppliers the Government excluded from procurement on the grounds of fraud under the Public Contract Regulations 2015 in (a) 2015 (b) 2018 and (c) 2021.

The Government is committed to tackling fraud and corruption in public procurement. All contracting authorities must act, and be seen to act, with integrity.

Information on how many suppliers the Government excluded from procurement on the grounds of fraud under the Public Contract Regulations 2015 is not held centrally. Departments will hold their own exclusions data.

The Public Sector Fraud Authority was established in August 2022 to work with departments and public bodies to understand the causes of fraud and reduce its impact, throughout the commercial lifecycle.

The Procurement Bill, which is making its way through Parliament, further strengthens the rules on supplier exclusion for fraud and corruption.