Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 25
25
Accepted
Framework contract publishing requirements are currently limited to central government organisations.
Conclusion
We asked the GCF whether there was a requirement for departments to publish all contracts awarded off a framework. The GCF described that there are such requirements but that full contract publishing currently only applies to central government. The GCF commented that contracts from NHS trusts, for instance, do not today fall under contract publishing requirements, but will in the future.46
Government Response Summary
The government agrees with the implicit recommendation, stating that the Procurement Act will introduce legal requirements for contracting authorities to publish contract data to a central digital platform, with secondary legislation expected in Spring 2024 and full implementation by Spring 2025.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: Spring 2025 Much of the requested data will now be required as standard as part of the Procurement Act. Contracting authorities will have clear legal requirements to upload information on procurements to the central digital platform within certain timescales, this includes publishing contract award notices for above threshold contracts (those generally above £213,000), contract details for contracts over £5 million, Key Performance Indicators for contracts over £5 million. This list is not exhaustive and will be achieved via the submission of notices within the system - simply put, if a contract authority does not upload a particular notice, it will be in breach of statutory requirements in a way that is not the case now. The requirements for notices will be set out via secondary legislation, expected to be laid in Spring 2024. The Cabinet Office will publish a range of guidance notes and provide learning and development materials setting out these requirements.