A new UK Procurement Bill has been included in the Queen’s Speech – for the second time.
Prince Charles, standing in for the Queen, told Parliament public procurement would “simplified” in the bill, which was also mentioned in last year’s speech. “Government will continue to seize the opportunities of the United Kingdom’s departure from the European Union to support economic growth,” he said.
In notes accompanying the Queen’s Speech the government said: “Now that we no longer have to abide by bureaucratic EU rules and regulations, our intention is to create a simpler regime that works better for the UK, reducing costs and improving productivity.
“For example, by establishing a single digital platform for supplier registration, businesses will only have to submit their data once to qualify for any public sector procurement.” The government said public sector buyers would have “more freedom and flexibility by allowing them to better negotiate with suppliers and to design the buying process to meet the needs of their specific procurement”.
The new bill means public authorities, including the NHS, will have to publish notices of direct awards, while publication requirements will be extended to cover planning, termination, and contract performance.
A single central platform for contract data will be established to “give everyone access to procurement information”.
Anthony Barden, Recruitment Lead at Talent Drive, adds;
Encouraging to see the government promoting a higher degree of transparency and competition within public sector procurement, and drastically simplifying cumbersome EU regs into a more agile process. Not to mention, the Procurement Bill also serves to highlight the essential role played by a well-orchestrated procurement function.
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