Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he is taking to enable small firms to bid for Government contracts.

Small businesses are the backbone of our economy, and this Government is committed to supporting them in securing public sector contracts.

In April I announced a number of measures to help achieve this, including proposals on excluding suppliers who do not pay their subcontractors on time. We have already streamlined our procurement processes to assist small businesses, and we continue to focus on breaking down the barriers that might deter SMEs.

We are committed to working with SMEs and our aspiration remains to spend 33% with them by the end of 2022.