Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Bill — Clause 37 — Public Sector Procurement — Training — Small Organisations — Buying Local — 18 Nov 2014 at 18:15

The majority of MPs voted against making clear ministers can make regulations setting out the duties of public bodies procuring goods and services in relation to training and apprenticeships, procurement from smaller organisations and buying locally.

MPs were considering the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Bill^[1]. The motion rejected in this vote by the majority of MPs was:

• That the amendment be made.

The amendment in question stated:

• Amendment: 1, page 35, line 16, at end insert—
• “() duties relating to the provision of apprenticeships and training opportunities as a result of procurement;
• () duties to publish reports about the amount of expenditure undertaken by the relevant procurement function in relation to—
• (i) amount and proportion of expenditure undertaken by small and medium-sized enterprises,
• (ii) amount and proportion of expenditure undertaken in the local area.”

Had it not been rejected this amendment would added the above text Clause 37 of the Bill^[3] relating to public sector procurement titled Regulations about procurement. The above text would have been added to sub-clause 5 which listed the duties which regulations under the Act could impose.

The "contracting authorities" to which the regulations would apply are those listed in Regulation 3 of the Public Contracts Regulations 2006 and cover many public bodies including government departments, local councils, and many more.

• [1] Parliament's webpage on the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Bill
• [2] Official Record, House of Commons, 18 November 2014
• [3] Clause 37 of the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Bill as at the time of the vote

Debate in Parliament | Source |