Mark Pawsey MP is a member of a House and Commons Select Committee scrutinising matters dealt with by the Department for Communities and Local Government. The Parliamentary Committee has been carrying out an inquiry into local government procurement. The report identifies a number of ways to save the taxpayer money, improve the efficiency of local government, and support local businesses.
Speaking this morning, Mark said:
‘£45 billion is spent by local government on procurement every year, and it is essential that every penny is spent wisely and efficiently. This Report has identified a number of ways in which money can be saved, and the whole process improved. We estimate that these recommendations could save billions of pounds every year.’
Mark commented:
‘Local Government is at the heart of making our towns and communities thrive, and the report also shows local authorities ways in which they can better support small and medium-sized businesses. At the moment, a lot of these smaller businesses want to work with local Government, but red-tape and other issues prevent them. By streamlining the whole process, the local economy can really benefit.’
Mark added:
“As someone who ran business supplying to authorities I often had to spend time filling in several pre-qualification questionnaires. Our report has recommended that this process be simplified and standardised so that once completed they can apply to a number of authorities. I hope this recommendation will be taken up which will encourage more companies, and in particular SMEs, to tender for contracts thereby improving value for money.”