Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he is taking through public procurement policy to support UK bus manufacturers to compete for (a) Government contracts, (b) local authority contracts, and (c) combined authority contracts.

This Government believes that it matters where things are made and who makes them. Public procurement must promote our modern Industrial Strategy, bolster domestic capacity, and protect national security in line with our international trade obligations.

The Government has published new guidance on using national security exemptions within the Procurement Act 2023 for four initial pathfinder sectors: steel, shipbuilding, artificial intelligence, and energy infrastructure. While bus manufacturing is not included in this initial national security guidance, we continue to work across departments to ensure procurement policy bolsters resilience and capability in this strategically important industry.

On the 26th March, the Government announced we will create a new definition of social value that will underpin all government procurement. It will, for the first time, put the views, aspirations and needs of local communities at the heart of procurement decisions. Therefore, if a bidder can demonstrate they will deliver real community impact, through delivering local jobs, skills and apprenticeships, then the new social value definition will recognise and reward that.