Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he is taking to ensure that public contracts are not awarded to companies that blacklist workers.

This Government is committed to ensuring public procurement supports British jobs and industry. Under the exclusion regime in the Procurement Act 2023, contracting authorities may exclude suppliers for blacklisting offences. The exclusion regime came into force in February this year and can be applied, for example, on the grounds of professional misconduct.

Those suppliers may also be added to a central debarment list by the Cabinet Office. This Government will not hesitate to make use of the full range of powers it has where there is evidence of wrongdoing having taken place.