Public Bodies

Part of Oral Answers to Questions — Cabinet Office – in the House of Commons at 11:30 am on 24 November 2010.

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Photo of Francis Maude Francis Maude The Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office 11:30, 24 November 2010

I announced last Wednesday that the Government are identifying a range of additional commercial models for public bodies wishing to contract out services, such as joint ventures and public sector worker mutuals, alongside traditional outsourcing options. A major barrier to this is the extremely cumbersome procurement process left behind by the previous Government. An average process here typically takes almost twice as long as it does in Germany. This makes tendering less competitive and effectively excludes many smaller suppliers and social and voluntary enterprises. We are taking steps to streamline the process.