Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to prevent government procurement suppliers from facing legal or regulatory action for bidding for public procurement contracts while being investigated by authorities under the Procurement Act 2023.

The Procurement Act, which comes into force on 24 February 2025, will allow the Government to investigate high-risk suppliers on behalf of the entire public sector.

International debarment lists can be considered as part of a debarment investigation that determines whether an exclusion ground applies and enables a Minister of the Crown to decide whether the supplier should be placed on the debarment list.

A live debarment investigation does not prevent a supplier from bidding for public contracts or provide a basis for any further regulatory or legal action against the supplier.