Question

To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Restoration and Renewal Client Board, whether the R&R Client Board has taken steps with stakeholders to maximise the number of UK-based companies carrying out the Houses of Parliament Restoration and Renewal Project.

Restoring Parliament is already boosting UK industries, and the Restoration and Renewal Programme is committed to ensuring that the opportunities and benefits are spread as widely as possible across the whole of the UK.

The Programme will use UK materials wherever possible and create jobs and apprenticeships across the country, from engineering and high-tech design to traditional crafts such as carpentry and stonemasonry.

99% of the Delivery Authority’s supply chain expenditure to date has been with UK-based companies. The Delivery Authority’s procurements are advertised using the Government’s Find a Tender service.

A series of events is underway across all of the devolved nations and regions of the UK to raise awareness of the R&R Programme, promote the local benefits and opportunities that will be available through the works and listen to potential suppliers—including small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs)—on how to make the investment from this Programme as accessible as possible while maintaining value for money for the taxpayer.

Since 2021 the R&R Delivery Authority has been delivering roundtable discussions with local business and political leaders across the English regions in partnership with the British Chambers of Commerce. Through these roundtables the Delivery Authority has to date met with over 100 local suppliers, SMEs and training providers in six regions of England, including the North East, the North West, the East Midlands, Yorkshire and the Humber, the West Midlands, and the East of England.

The Delivery Authority has also held introductory meetings with local political representatives and business leaders in the devolved nations to arrange roundtable discussions in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. For Scotland, these will be delivered in collaboration with the Scottish Chambers, for Wales Chambers Wales, and Northern Ireland is being confirmed.

By the end of 2023 the Delivery Authority will have held roundtable discussions and visited sites of interest to the restoration and renewal across the whole of the UK—including Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales and every region in England—to build understanding of how the Programme can support economic benefits in local communities around the whole of the UK.

Both Houses of Parliament will be asked to approve a way forward for the Programme later this year. Once this decision has been made, the Delivery Authority will be able to further focus its efforts to maximise the number of UK-based companies involved with the Programme.