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PRESS RELEASE : Ukrainian military chaplains receive training from British Army [June 2023]
The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 7 June 2023.
Ten Ukrainian military chaplains have completed two weeks of training with their UK counterparts in the first course of its kind.

The programme seeks to further develop their chaplaincy, whose members deploy to the front line to provide vital spiritual and pastoral support to personnel.

Chaplaincy is a ‘critical capability for Ukrainian commanders’, says British Army’s Chaplain General.

Ukrainian military chaplains have graduated from the first course of its kind to be run on British soil.

For the last two weeks, ten chaplains have been embedded with the Royal Army Chaplains’ Department of the British Army to learn more about providing pastoral care, spiritual support and moral guidance during military operations – and the post-war rebuilding period that ultimately follows.

They will now deploy to the front line of Ukraine’s conflict with Russia, where their task will be to build hope and restore spirits as troops battle to reclaim Ukraine’s sovereign territory.

The course, which was developed by British military chaplains, and supported by the UK Armed Forces under Operation Orbital, came in response to a request from the Armed Forces of Ukraine, aimed to equip participants with the religious and practical resources needed to support personnel through the most challenging aspects of operations – from bereavement and loss, to mental health difficulties.

The Reverend Michael D Parker KHC CF, Chaplain General, said:

It has been the greatest of privileges to work with our Ukrainian Partner Forces to develop an understanding of chaplaincy within high intensity warfare. Together, we have examined the centrality of the moral component of fighting power and the part chaplains play in monitoring and sustaining this. They have been able to teach us as much as we have been able to teach them.

The ability to deliver pastoral care, spiritual support and moral guidance has made chaplaincy a critical capability for Ukrainian commanders. Chaplains are in demand and it is truly humbling to be asked to support them in deepening their understanding of their role within war. These ten chaplains have answered the call of their nation; they are no longer just our international partners, they are our colleagues and friends. I pray that God will bless, protect and guide them as they return to Ukraine.

There are currently 160 chaplains within the growing, multi-faith Chaplaincy branch of the Ukrainian military, which was formally established in 2021. There are aspirations to grow their ranks to 738 chaplains, to ensure that spiritual and pastoral support is available across units, hospitals and training sites.

Reverend Robin Richardson, Chaplain, Royal Army Chaplain’s Department, was responsible for developing the programme. He said:

Wherever there are people, they need the spiritual support, moral guidance and pastoral care that chaplains bring, whether they are in units, in hospitals or training establishments.

These ministers are driven by their faith to step out of the door, unarmed, into the face of any enemy so that they can provide care for people of all beliefs. They are operating in circumstances that we could never dream of experiencing ourselves, drawing on their faith to support those navigating the chaos of war and doing everything they can to give soldiers hope.

The hope is that the planning tools, religious and pastoral resources, and hands-on experience we have provided will only make them more effective in their roles on the front line.

A significant proportion of the programme was devoted to delivering chaplaincy within an operational context, with participants supporting troops who are currently undergoing battlefield training in Wiltshire as part of the UK-led training of Ukrainian recruits. The bespoke programme highlights the broad range of training the UK has delivered to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, which has also included basic infantry training, medical training, and training on Challenger 2 tanks.

Formed in 1796, the Army Chaplains’ Department has become synonymous with bringing comfort, care and compassion to those caught up in war. Since 1945, Chaplains have served wherever British soldiers are sent – caring for the whole force and their families irrespective of faith, world philosophy or status.

The UK and its allies have to date trained more than 15,000 Armed Forces of Ukraine personnel in areas such as the fundamentals of frontline combat and more specialised training. The five-week training programme for basic recruits sees them receive instruction in weapons handling, battlefield first aid, fieldcraft, patrol tactics and the Law of Armed Conflict, enabling them to effectively defend their country on their return to Ukraine.

The UK Government provided £2.3 billion of military aid to Ukraine in 2022 and the Prime Minister has committed to match this in 2023, having already supplied more than 10,000 anti-tank missiles, 100,000 rounds of artillery ammunition (with 100,000 more planned for supply in 2023), vital air defence capability, including more than a hundred anti-aircraft guns, as well as self-propelled artillery.
12/06/2023
PRESS RELEASE : Successful NHS programme to recruit care volunteers [June 2023]
The press release issued by the Department of Health and Social Care on 7 June 2023.

The government is expanding the NHS Volunteer Responders programme into social care.
NHS Volunteer Responders Programme to be expanded into social care

Potential volunteers being asked to come forward to sign up for the programme in their local area

Volunteers to provide support to people receiving care from local services in their community

Following the success of the NHS Volunteer Responders Programme scheme over the pandemic, the government has announced it will expand it into social care to form a joint NHS and care volunteering programme and allow care providers to recruit volunteers to help people in their local areas.

Backed by £3 million, the scheme will use the same GoodSAM app that NHS volunteers currently use, to bring providers and volunteers together. The roles available for care volunteers are:

Check in and Chat Plus: contacting people who have been identified as particularly vulnerable to offer a friendly voice to those who may be experiencing loneliness

Pick up and Deliver: helping to transport medicines or small items of medical equipment to people’s homes or community settings from NHS sites to aid discharge from hospital or continued healthcare support

Community Response: collecting and delivering food shopping and essential items as well as prescriptions and medications to people in the community

Minister for Care, Helen Whately, said:

Volunteers can be a lifeline for people needing support. They can provide help to people needing a hand with food shopping, picking up prescriptions or even battling loneliness by lending a listening ear.

That’s why we are building on the success of the NHS Volunteer Responders programme by expanding into social care. This launch will support the discharge of medically fit patients from hospital, freeing up the time so our workforce can focus on meeting more complex needs and most importantly support people to live independently at home for longer.

All roles available to volunteers will help ease pressure on the health and social care system, but the Pick Up and Deliver role is specifically designed to support hospital discharge and prevent admissions.

It will help to address challenges around pharmacies dispensing medicines – which NHS professionals cited as one of the biggest difficulties when trying to discharge patients from hospitals – as volunteers will deliver medications directly to patients, allowing them to return home sooner from hospital and removing the need to wait for prescriptions.

Jointly delivered by the Royal Voluntary Service and GoodSAM, the expansion of the NHS programme into social care will also help to ease pressure on the NHS as volunteers will be able to step in to support people waiting to be admitted to hospital, those recently discharged and people in the community. This will free up the social care workforce enabling them to focus on those with more complex needs to live independently.

The government is also continuing to look at ways to expand and maximise the benefit of volunteers in the NHS, such as whether it would be possible to make it easier to apply for volunteer roles by, for example, removing the requirement for employment history where this isn’t necessary.

Volunteers can be crucial in supporting the health and care sector and complement the existing workforce. They do not replace the existing, highly valued, paid health and care staff.

Sam Ward OBE, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Royal Voluntary Service, said:

The NHS Volunteer Responders scheme has been invaluable to the NHS and communities for the past 3 years. We are privileged to be taking the learning from the pandemic and extending the support of the valued volunteers to even more people and communities, working closely with social care providers and NHS England.

Dame Ruth May, Chief Nursing Officer for England, said:

We are delighted that this innovative volunteering programme is being expanded and look forward to seeing what positive changes this move can bring for our social care colleagues – it has been a wonderful support for the NHS over the last couple of years.

There are a wide range of roles available which give amazing support to our patients and existing staff – we are looking for people who can help provide essentials to others who may be vulnerable, or for those who want to take a potential first step into a career in the NHS. If you are interested, we want to hear from you.

Local authorities have been referring care recipients from the start of the NHS Volunteer Responder Programme and have found the scheme useful. Volunteer Responders will soon be able to provide support to more people in the community when other care providers, including care homes, are able to request volunteers.

Samantha Aylott, Specialist Advisor for Adult Social Care at Essex County Council, regularly uses the Volunteer Responder programme to organise volunteer Check in and Chat calls for people as part of their social care package.

Samantha said:

It’s immensely helpful to be able to offer people emotional wellbeing support and the opportunity to have a friendly phone call as part of their care package. Having someone to chat to can mean a lot to the adults we work with; it’s about knowing someone cares and is interested in them.

I would recommend the programme to other social care providers, it’s quick and easy to use.

Maz Chafekar, 51, is from Birmingham and initially signed up as a Check in and Chat volunteer during the first lockdown. Following the relaunch of the service, Maz is once again volunteering, providing friendly phone call support to vulnerable, isolated or lonely people.

Maz said:

When I first heard about NHS Volunteer Responders, I believed that the role was just perfect for me. It is such a positive way to engage with people and give back to my community.

There are so many people on their own, without anyone to turn to, and I want to give them as much support as possible. Many people are vulnerable and lonely and as a responder it’s great to know that I am helping people to overcome the challenges that they are going through. It’s very rewarding.

A lot of people need support, and a chat can go a long way. For those who are lonely, in some cases without family or friends nearby, having someone to speak to can make such a difference to their happiness.

I’ve had calls which start teary, but by the end of it they are smiling and feeling a lot better.

Background

There are 3 roles now available for volunteers to sign up to:

Check In and Chat Plus

Community Response

Pick Up and Deliver
12/06/2023
James Cleverly – 2023 Speech at the OECD’s Ministerial Council Meeting in Paris

The speech made by James Cleverly, the Foreign Secretary, in Paris on 7 June 2023.

Good morning Ministers, Ambassadors, Friends, Colleagues.

Welcome to today’s OECD Ministerial Council Meeting. Our theme “Securing a resilient future: shared values and global partnerships” is both timely and important.

I’m honoured to represent the UK as chair of this year’s meeting.

And we have put together an ambitious, forward-looking agenda that addresses our most serious and immediate concerns.

The global pandemic demonstrated the importance of resilient and diversified supply chains and trading systems. Climate change and the loss of biodiversity are serious problems for all of us.

Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine threatens to upend the international order and that is why it is so important that it must fail and that our friends in Ukraine must win.

I have just returned from Ukraine, from Kyiv, and I saw a country under arms, I saw a country defending its sovereignty and territorial integrity. But I also saw a country defending the principles that underpin peace, security and economic development in the post-war era. That is why our support to them must endure and that is why their success must be guaranteed.

The OECD is well positioned to promote unity between allies and to encourage a coherent response to the acute and long-term issues that we face.

Today’s Ministerial Council Meeting is special, is unique. We have opened our discussions to non-members and we’re honoured by the participation of a wider range of global voices. And our agenda addresses their shared concerns and priorities. And we will have better discussions as a result of their participation.

This year opens a new chapter in the OECD’s commitment to the Indo-Pacific. Underpinned by our new Strategic Framework, we all recognise the region’s importance for global growth, critical supply chains, digital transition and resilience, and, of course, climate action.

But we must not ignore the challenges that we face today.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is always at the forefront of our minds. And we must support Ukraine to win, and we must support its recovery efforts once it does. And we look forward to hosting the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London in a few weeks’ time.

This war continues to imperil the world’s economy by disrupting global supply chains and unleashing a wave of inflation driven by high fuel and food prices. And vulnerable countries now face severe risk of food insecurity and, in some instances, famine.

So we must work closely together to strengthen global economic resilience to current and future shocks. And the OECD has the right policy tools and the right analysis to support these efforts. And we’re promoting supply chain resilience, better international tax rules, climate action, and, of course, gender equality.

We should remember that free markets offer the best and quickest route to prosperity. And gender equality is best advanced through free markets. Free trade inevitably benefits service industries and small business. And not only are they the life blood of local communities as well as national economies, they also disproportionately employ women. And so, therefore, freer trade disproportionately benefits women and when women are empowered socially and economically, everybody wins.

And my colleague, Kemi Badenoch, the UK Business and Trade Secretary, will explore how smart trade and investment policies can deliver global economic resilience and stimulate growth.

We often say that a rising tide raises all boats. Probably more accurate to say that a rising tide can lift all boats, and we need to work together to ensure that it does.

Our world is changing rapidly. New technologies offer people across the globe new freedoms, greater access to knowledge, better opportunities economically.

Artificial Intelligence-enabled technologies diagnose disease; virtual learning helps students who would otherwise be excluded from education; improved access to renewable energy will power our clean energy transition.

But technology also has the potential to undermine our safety, undermine our security, and undermine our democratic values. So we must address the risks by working together to ensure technology is designed, developed and deployed, and governed ethically, safely and reliably, so that we can harness the advantages and mitigate the risks.

The OECD Global Forum on Technology, which the UK is proud to support alongside Spain and the United States of America, had its inaugural meeting yesterday, chaired by my good friend and colleague Chloe Smith. And the Forum will find opportunities and mitigate the challenges of immersive technologies, quantum and synthetic biology.

Innovation ushers our societies towards new frontiers. It unlocks previously inconceivable improvements.

It will be central to ensuring we can adapt to environmental change and cut greenhouse gas emissions.

And our discussions on Future Frontiers and Energy Futures will explore these issues in more depth, and I look forward to hearing the outcome of the panel chaired by my colleague Grant Shapps, Secretary of State for Energy and Net Zero.

The International Energy Agency and the OECD are highly regarded thought leaders in this field and that’s why it’s great to have Director-General Dr Fatih Birol and Secretary-General Mathias Cormann on the panel, alongside the Minister from Sweden.

All our fortunes depend on a stable and peaceful international order. By working together we give ourselves the best chance to create an environment where everybody can prosper.

The OECD is a cornerstone of the multilateral order. We are a community of like-minded members, committed to free markets, to democracy, to the rule of law, to free trade, to human rights, to sustainability, to gender equality, and, of course, to fairness. These are the values that have brought us together today.

So let this meeting renew our commitment to global partnerships, to extend the reach of the OECD, and, by doing so, to build a prosperous future trade for the whole world.

It is a genuine pleasure now to take the opportunity to invite the Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal to say a few words on behalf of Ukraine.

Thank you.

12/06/2023
PRESS RELEASE : Dr Catherine McClellan reappointed to Ofqual Board [June 2023]

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 7 June 2023.

Dr Catherine McClellan, who joined the Ofqual Board in June 2020, has been reappointed for a further term of office and will now serve until 31 May 2026.

She is Deputy CEO (Research and Assessment) at the Australian Council for Educational Research, which is a not-for-profit research organisation that aims to create and promote research-based knowledge.

Catherine is also a member of the Measurement Advisory Group, Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority, and a member of the advisory board of the Centre for Learning Analytics at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia.

Sir Ian Bauckham, Ofqual Chair, said: “I am delighted that Catherine will work with us on the Ofqual Board for another 3 years. We will be able to continue to benefit from the expertise and insight that she brings.”

Appointments to the Ofqual Board are made by the Secretary of State for Education.

12/06/2023
NEWS FROM 100 YEARS AGO : 1 June 1923

1 JUNE 1923

Viscount Grey, speaking at the Liberal conference in Buxton, said that he believed Liberal reunion was coming from the rank and file of the party in a perfectly natural and automatic manner. Herbert Asquith also spoke and expressed approval of the comments made by Viscount Grey.

The Prince of Wales was granted the freedom of York.

The Rent Restrictions (Notices of Increase) Bill passed the committee stage in the House of Lords.

12/06/2023
NEWS FROM 100 YEARS AGO : 31 May 1923

31 MAY 1923

The Prince of Wales visited Bradford as part of his industrial tour of Yorkshire.

The Mental Treatment Bill passed through Committee in the House of Lords after the addition of a clause providing that there asylums in England and Wales should in future be referred to as mental hospitals rather than lunatic asylums.

The question of a Liberal reunion was discussed at the annual meeting of the Council of the National Liberal Federation in Buxton.

The railway companies issued a statement, in reply to criticisms over fares, giving reasons why they believed further reductions were impossible.

12/06/2023
NEWS FROM 100 YEARS AGO : 30 May 1923

30 MAY 1923

Earl Russell’s Blasphemy Laws Amendment Bill was rejected in the House of Lords by 68 votes to 8 votes.

The death was announced of Henry Chaplin, 1st Viscount Chaplin.

The Indemnity Bill was discussed in the House of Commons.

12/06/2023
PRESS RELEASE : Major funding boost to support rollout of quality skills training [June 2023]

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 7 June 2023.

£48 million to boost rollout of Higher Technical Qualifications and £140 million for schools and colleges to transform their facilities.

Students up and down the country are set to benefit from more opportunities to embark on a high-quality alternative to a traditional degree, as part of a major investment in skills so people can access training to secure great jobs and grow the economy.

The £48 million Skills Injection Fund (SIF) is being launched today to boost the rollout of Higher Technical Qualifications (HTQs). HTQs are technical courses at levels 4 and 5 which equip students from all backgrounds with the high-quality, higher-level skills needed to secure well-paying jobs, like software developer or construction site supervisor. They also help to meet local labour market needs and boost local economies. The new investment will allow colleges and other providers to deliver more HTQs by funding specialist equipment, facilities, and upskilling staff.

Meanwhile, more than 40 schools and colleges will receive a share of £140 million to transform their facilities to meet demographic increases in young people aged 16 to 19. This could include building more classroom space or technical teaching facilities, so that more students have access to high quality learning environments and projects that will set them on a path to success.

Minister for Skills, Apprenticeships and Higher Education Robert Halfon said:

Supporting people from all backgrounds to embark on high-quality technical courses, armed with the skills they need to climb the ladder of opportunity, is crucial to building a world-class skills nation.

Boosting funding to support the delivery of Higher Technical Qualifications and ensuring that schools and colleges have the space they need to provide all students with top notch training is essential to achieving parity of esteem with traditional degrees and plugging skills gaps in key sectors.

The rollout of HTQs is a key part of the Government’s post-18 skills reform to grow high-quality Level 4 and 5 qualifications, building towards the Lifelong Loan Entitlement. The previous round of the SIF distributed over £21 million to 85 providers, boosting skills training across the country. This includes Manchester City College which used the funding to build a digital lab contributing to the growing media and TV sector.

Further Education colleges and other providers have been invited to apply for a share of the Skills Injection Fund, with new courses starting September 2024. This includes courses in Education & Childcare and Engineering & Manufacturing which will help to produce a pipeline of talent that will plug skills gaps in these key sectors.

Both rounds of funding are part of the Government’s plans to transform technical education and training to ensure that young people from all backgrounds have the opportunity to gain the skills they need to succeed and provide local employers with access to the skilled workforce they need to grow. This builds on the £165 million Local Skills Improvement Fund announced earlier this month, which will provide tailored funding to plug local skills gaps across the country. These transformative measures will revolutionise skills training to meet local needs and help fulfil the Prime Minister’s priority of boosting the economy.

12/06/2023
Alex Burghart – 2023 Article on a Strengthened Procurement Regime

The article by Alex Burghart published in The Times on 7 June 2023 and republished by the Cabinet Office as a press release.

Protecting the nation’s security has always been government’s primary responsibility. In an increasingly interconnected world, defending the realm goes well beyond the “front line”. It means using every lever of government to further our nation’s security and protect us from ever increasing threats.

We know that states across the world increasingly are using the tools at their disposal to project their influence and potentially threaten our security. These hybrid threats include using economic channels to attempt to undermine and compromise our government and society.

So we have to act. Today we are strengthening the Procurement Bill, which will have its report stage in parliament next week, with changes in three areas.

First, to ensure that we are alive to potential national security risks which some suppliers may pose, we are establishing a National Security Unit for Procurement. This new team, based in the Cabinet Office, will investigate suppliers who may pose a risk to national security, and assess whether companies should be barred from public procurements.

The specialist team will work across government, ensuring we use our resources to protect our citizens, and helping those responsible for public procurement avoid signing contracts with bad actors.

Second, we will introduce new powers to ban certain suppliers from specific sectors. This means that we can adopt a precautionary approach, banning companies which may pose a risk to sensitive areas of government, for example GCHQ.

Finally, we are committing to publish a timeline for the removal of surveillance equipment produced by companies subject to China’s National Intelligence Law from sensitive central government sites. We have already taken firm action in this area. Last year we halted the installation of such equipment on sensitive government sites and asked departments to consider their removal. By publicly committing to this timeline, we are providing reassurance and urgency around the removal plans.

These measures show the proactive approach that we are taking in ensuring that companies cannot threaten our national security through procurement.

But the Procurement Bill is about so much more than protecting national security, it constitutes a major piece of legislation that will repeal an array of EU rules. The Bill will deliver better value for money for the taxpayer, through slashing red tape, boosting growth and driving innovation.

The new rules will support smaller businesses by making it easier to win public contracts. For example, for the first time we are legislating to ensure that contracting authorities must help SMEs overcome the barriers they face when trying to win public contracts.

It will create a more transparent procurement system, with clearer and faster competition processes for emergency buying.

So we believe the Procurement Bill, which we call on all sides of the house to back, will deliver for Britain, protecting our security, growing our economy and helping small businesses.

12/06/2023
PRESS RELEASE : Procurement Bill strengthened to protect national security [June 2023]
The press release issued by the Cabinet Office on 7 June 2023.

Stepped up measures to protect national security in government contracts are to be brought forward, the government has announced today.
New amendments tabled to the Procurement Bill to strengthen national security.

Specialist unit to be established to investigate suppliers who may pose risk to national security.

Amendment to allow bidders to be banned from sensitive sectors, while able to win contracts in non-sensitive areas.

Procurement Bill, which will rip up red-tape and help small businesses, to have its Report Stage next week.

Stepped up measures to protect national security in government contracts are to be brought forward, the government has announced.

Yesterday the government tabled amendments to the Procurement Bill, ahead of its Report Stage in Parliament next week to include two new measures:

Establishing a National Security Unit for Procurement. The new team, which will be based in the Cabinet Office, will investigate suppliers who may pose a risk to national security, and assess whether companies should be barred from public procurements.

New powers to ban suppliers from specific sectors, such as areas related to defence and national security, while allowing them to continue to win procurements in non-sensitive areas.

In addition, the Government is committing to publish a timeline for the removal of surveillance equipment produced by companies subject to China’s National Intelligence Law from sensitive central government sites.

Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General Jeremy Quin said:

Protecting the nation’s security has always been the government’s number one job.

These new measures will protect our sensitive sectors from companies which could threaten national security and are a firm deterrence to hostile actors who wish to do Britain harm.

This builds on the robust rules within the Procurement Bill to hold suppliers to account and ensure that the taxpayer is protected.

The new National Security Unit for Procurement will draw on a full range of expertise within government and respond swiftly to emerging threats, such as companies looking to win public contracts in order to gain access to sensitive information or sites which could be used to compromise government and society. The specialist team will work across government, including liaising closely with our intelligence agencies.

To further strengthen the national security measures, the government is introducing new, context-specific mandatory debarments on national security grounds. This will mean that the government will be able to ban suppliers which pose a risk to national security from specific types of contracts.

The commitment to publish a timeline for the removal of relevant surveillance equipment from sensitive sites builds on action taken last year to halt the installation of new equipment on the government estate. It will provide the necessary reassurance that departments are removing surveillance equipment from sensitive sites.

Cabinet Office Minister Alex Burghart said:

The Procurement Bill puts the government in a stronger position to get the best deal for taxpayers, while prioritising growth by cutting red tape and removing barriers for small businesses.

It’s absolutely right we continue to look at ways to strengthen central government rules when it comes to national security and I have no doubt these additional measures will ensure the Bill delivers on its objective to have a robust, modern procurement process which delivers for the British people.

The Bill, which will have its Report Stage in the House of Commons next week, will make it easier for small businesses (SMEs) to win more of the £300billion of goods, services and works that the government buys each year.

The Bill introduces new rules to help the government procure in emergency situations, such as during health pandemics, ensuring that contracting authorities can act quickly and transparently to buy vital goods.

These simpler rules take advantage of freedoms now that Britain has left the EU, as well as strengthening the government’s ability to exclude suppliers who may have previously underperformed on government work. The rules will help exclude suppliers, both in the UK and overseas who are involved in modern slavery – further clamping down on this abhorrent practice.

The Bill also confirms that value for money remains paramount during contracting, whilst also encouraging buyers to take into account other relevant wider social and environmental considerations the supplier may bring.

Notes to editors:

The new provisions will allow Ministers to consider the risk profile of a particular supplier, supported by the new National Security Unit for Procurement, and act accordingly. Certain types of contracts can be identified on the debarment list that the supplier must not be allowed to bid for. This can be identified by the type of goods, services or works or by reference to certain contracting authorities or locations.

The new unit will be proactively monitoring the supplier landscape and will recommend to Ministers which suppliers should be investigated for debarment; the outcome of that investigation may lead to an entry on the debarment list. The proactive approach will be highly advantageous in minimising the risk posed by some suppliers and will make it easier for contracting authorities to implement national security exclusions.

We will also commit to publish a timeline for the removal of surveillance equipment produced by companies subject to China’s National Intelligence Law from sensitive central government sites. By committing to this timeline, we are providing reassurance and urgency around the removal plans.

The main benefits of the Bill are:

Delivering better value for money – Supported by greater transparency and a bespoke approach to procurement, the Bill will provide greater flexibility for buyers to design their procurement processes and create more opportunities to negotiate with suppliers.

Slashing red tape and driving innovation – More than 350 complicated and bureaucratic rules govern public spending in the EU. Removing these and creating more sensible rules will not only reduce costs for businesses and the public sector, but also drive innovation by allowing buyers to tailor procurement to their exact needs, building in stages such as demonstrations and testing prototypes.

Making it easier to do business with the public sector – The Bill will accelerate spending with small businesses. A new duty will require contracting authorities to consider SMEs and we will ensure 30 day payment terms on a broader range of contracts. The Bill will also create a single digital platform for suppliers to register their details once so that they can be used for multiple bids.

Levelling up the UK – While value for money will remain the highest priority in procurement, the Bill will require buyers to take account of national strategic priorities such as job creation, improving supplier resilience, and driving innovation. Buyers will be able to reserve competitions for contracts below certain thresholds for suppliers located in the UK, SMEs and social enterprises.

Taking tougher action on underperforming suppliers – The Bill will put in place a new exclusions framework that will make it easier to exclude suppliers who have underperformed on other contracts. It will also create a new ‘debarment register’, accessible to all public sector organisations, which will list suppliers who must or may be excluded from contracts.

Creating an open and transparent system – Everyone will have access to public procurement data. Citizens will be able to scrutinise spending decisions. Suppliers will be able to identify new opportunities to bid and collaborate. Buyers will be able to analyse the market and benchmark their performance against others, for example on their spend with SMEs.

Effective emergency procurement – The Bill will allow faster competition processes for emergency buying, reducing the reliance on direct awards while retaining (and improving) the ability to act at pace in situations similar to the COVID pandemic

Protecting national security – The Bill includes specific rules for defence and security procurements and provides flexibility for contracts to be upgraded to refresh technology to address gaps in capability. The Bill also has provisions to enable a contracting authority to exclude suppliers from procurements if they present a threat to national security. In addition, the debarment list can identify suppliers that must be excluded from certain contracts, as well as identify suppliers that contracting authorities should consider excluding from a procurement.

Strengthening exclusion grounds – The Bill toughens the rules to combat modern slavery by allowing suppliers to be excluded where there is evidence of modern slavery, accepting that in some jurisdictions it is unlikely that a supplier would ever face conviction.
12/06/2023