Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps the Government is taking to increase the opportunities for ceramic businesses to bid for government contracts.

The Government works very closely with the ceramics sector on a number of issues, particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic and following our exit from the European Union.

Government departments spend a significant sum on public procurement, and we are aware of the vital role this will play in kick-starting the economy. We have launched a new social value model which helps to ensure that the Government's huge purchasing power is used to support communities and the local economy. Our Green Paper proposals set out long-planned changes to the public procurement rules which will cut red tape, reduce bureaucracy and help unleash wider social benefits from public money spent on procurement.