Treasury must answer questions on procurement process, says Committee

Rt Hon. Mel Stride MP, Chair of the Treasury Committee, has written to the Chancellor about the National Audit Office’s (NAO) report, Investigation into Government Procurement during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The report identified elements of the procurement process that appear to be of concern, including a lack of effective oversight leading to poor value for money.

Mr Stride has asked the Chancellor to provide the Committee with information on a number of areas about which it is concerned.

Commenting on the correspondence, Mr Stride said:

“Some of the elements of the procurement process identified by the NAO appear to be of concern.

“The Treasury has a key role to play in achieving value for money for taxpayers. The efficacy of its oversight of public sector spending has been called into question.

“I’ve asked the Chancellor to provide us with information on whether the Treasury has followed the correct procedures when considering spending requests, whether any procedures have been curtailed as a result of the pandemic, and whether going forward any changes to these procedures are needed in light of the NAO report.”

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Notes to Editors

• Mr Stride’s letter to Rt Hon. Rishi Sunak MP, Chancellor of the Exchequer, is attached.

• The NAO’s report is here.