Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they are taking to ensure the principles of the Social Value Act 2012 are being properly embedded in all public procurement processes and contracts.

We are committed to using the strength of the Government’s £49bn annual purchasing power to drive social change.

We are extending the requirements of the 2012 Social Value Act to ensure all major central Government procurements explicitly evaluate social value where appropriate, rather than just ‘consider’ it. This will provide a standard framework for key social outcomes and measures to be evaluated in tenders.

Additionally, we will also require all departments to report on the social impact of major new procurements, and we will train all 4,000 commercial buyers to take account of social value and procure successfully from social enterprises.

Furthermore, the Minister for Implementation announced a consultation at the Social Value Summit on 11th March on how government should take account of social value in the award of central government contracts, which closes on 10th June.