The Procurement Bill successfully cleared the House of Commons Report and Third Reading stages in June. It will now progress to ‘consideration of amendments' in the House of Lords which has been scheduled for 11 September 2023. Once both Houses of Parliament reach agreement the Bill will proceed to Royal Assent.
Alongside this parliamentary progress, public consultation on the secondary legislation required to implement the new public procurement regime is now well underway. The first part of the consultation recently closed and the second part of the consultation now live until 25 August.
This second part of the consultation focuses on the transparency provisions and notices that will be used by contracting authorities to fulfil their legal requirements under the Bill. It also includes information on the proposed approach to transitional arrangements for procurements already underway at the time that the new regime enters into force and the position on other legislation that will need to be amended in order for the full provisions of the Bill to take effect. Cabinet Office are also using this opportunity to consult on a proposal to use the power in the Bill at clause 120 to amend Bill provisions for private utilities with respect to the Preliminary Market Engagement notice, in line with their aim of minimising burdens on these private businesses.
The consultation is being conducted online, and you can find all relevant information, and the mechanism to respond, via the dedicated page on Gov.uk. The page contains the consultation document, the draft Statutory Instrument, and a link to the survey questionnaire for you to feedback views and comments. This second part of the consultation will close at 11:45pm on 25 August 2023.