April 2026

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. Communities should be benefiting much more from the taxpayers’ money we are spending on procurement. I believe he mentioned two businesses in his constituency yesterday—Wright’s Flour mill and Lea Valley growers. To be clear, those are exactly the type of businesses we have in mind when we say we are trying to support local businesses to make a big impact in the community with lots of local jobs and so on. That is the kind of group I want to help going forward

The hon. Gentleman is right to flag that concern, and it is something that the Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister is working hard on with a package of reforms around transparency. On procurement changes, I emphasise that I am trying to work with businesses, unions, charities, the voluntary sector and as many people as I can to bring them in. The more we listen to them, the more we will get this right, but he makes a broader point that I know my colleagues are working hard on, too.

As I set out to the House yesterday, this Labour Government are ending the age of outsourcing. We will introduce a public interest test to require all Departments to assess whether a service can be better delivered in-house. We will also require all Departments to publish insourcing strategies setting out how they will make greater insourcing a reality over the medium term. Taken together, that is a step change in how we approach this, and I am proud that a Labour Government are delivering it.

The Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office updated the House on this yesterday, and he has answered a number of questions on that issue. I do agree that insourcing can play a key role in delivering better value for money and higher-quality public services, which is one reason why we are introducing the public interest test and ending the age of outsourcing.

Parliamentary appearance by Jo Platt

My hon. Friend is absolutely right to raise that. Social value should be integral to the system, but the current system has become too tick-boxy and does not deliver what it needs to for local communities like those in Derby. We are working with businesses, unions and charities on a new definition. I am happy to speak with her further about it, but I think it is an important part of improving the system.

Parliamentary appearance by Alex Ballinger

Parliamentary appearance by Rebecca Smith

Parliamentary appearance by Rosie Wrighting

Parliamentary appearance by Steve Race

Parliamentary appearance by Dr Beccy Cooper

Parliamentary appearance by John Slinger

Parliamentary appearance by David Williams

Parliamentary appearance by Ian Lavery

Parliamentary appearance by Kirsteen Sullivan

Parliamentary appearance by Steve Race

Parliamentary appearance by Chris Ward

Parliamentary appearance by Dr Neil Shastri-Hurst

Parliamentary appearance by Alison McGovern

Parliamentary appearance by Chris Ward