Written Question·Cabinet Office·UIN 92237

Public Sector: Procurement

Tabled: 18 November 2025
Answered: 26 November 2025

Question

Charlotte Nichols

LabourWarrington North

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he is taking to ensure that public contracts are not awarded to companies that blacklist workers.

Answer

Chris Ward

This Government is committed to ensuring public procurement supports British jobs and industry. Under the exclusion regime in the Procurement Act 2023, contracting authorities may exclude suppliers for blacklisting offences. The exclusion regime came into force in February this year and can be applied, for example, on the grounds of professional misconduct.

Those suppliers may also be added to a central debarment list by the Cabinet Office. This Government will not hesitate to make use of the full range of powers it has where there is evidence of wrongdoing having taken place.