Cabinet Office Minister (Georgina Gould): The Procurement
Act 2023 aims to create a simpler and more transparent regime for
public sector procurement that will deliver better value for
money, and reduce costs for business and the public sector. This
Government will use this legal framework to deliver greater value
for money and improved social value, which will help raise
standards, drive economic growth and open up public procurement
to new entrants such as small businesses and social enterprises.
Under the Act, the previous administration published a National
Procurement Policy Statement to which contracting authorities
will have to have regard. But this Statement does not meet the
challenge of applying the full potential of public procurement to
deliver value for money, economic growth, and social value. I
have therefore taken the decision to begin the vital work of
producing a new National Procurement Policy Statement that
clearly sets out this Government's priorities for public
procurement in support of our missions.
It is crucial that the new regime in the Procurement Act goes
live with a bold and ambitious Statement that drives delivery of
the Government's missions, and therefore, I am proposing a short
delay to the commencement of the Act to February 2025 so this
work can be completed. I am confident that the extra time to
prepare will allow for a more seamless transition, ensuring a
smoother and more effective implementation process for both
contracting authorities and suppliers.
Letters to withdraw the previous administration's Statement will
be issued to both Houses shortly and the Government intends to
make regulations to set a new date for the commencement of the
Procurement Act 2023 of 24 February 2025.
I have also written to the relevant Ministers in the Welsh
Government and the Northern Irish Executive seeking their
agreement to the new date and assuring them of my commitment to
working together in implementing the Procurement Act.
