Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they have taken to ensure that local authorities do not enter into contracts with companies that also work in countries that they believe are breaking, or have broken, international law and the Geneva Convention.

The new Public Contracts Regulations 2015 impose a legal obligation on public authorities when awarding contracts above certain thresholds to treat EU and GPA suppliers equally. Decisions on sanctions for breaking international law and the Geneva Convention are for the Government's foreign policy, and it is inappropriate and illegal for local authorities in some cases to prejudice suppliers on the basis of their "beliefs". This policy has been in place for many years under successive governments.