All government’s key suppliers, including Tier One contractors, are among 10,000 companies that have been sent letters warning them to sort out their payments practices or risk being banned from tendering for public sector work until they do.
Blog and Comment
Construction remains cartel target
The Brexit debacle still winds its weary way through the news and analysis pages, although nothing substantive seems to change in the original entrenched positions of our politicians. Business life continues but there are anecdotal noises from the industry that contracts aren’t being signed against the drawn out, uncertain background.
Playing at reform?
Government is introducing new measures that it says will reform how it procures public services in the wake of the Carillion collapse, with a new focus on ensuring appropriate risk allocation and increased visibility on spending plans.
Business life goes on post Brexit
Just as the UK is on the verge of finally leaving the EU, at 11pm on 29 March, with or without a deal, a loophole that has allowed local authorities to enter into development agreements without going through the OJEU processes has been closed.
May the force be with you
Another revolution in government procurement has been launched, this time by the Cabinet Office. There have been a few over the years. The view that UK central government procurement is a shambles is by now strongly entrenched throughout the industries that have to rely to any extent on public sector work. Scepticism can be excused in response to this latest move.
New initiative must not be old wine in new bottles
Chancellor Philip Hammond has surprised few with his Budget announcement that the Private Finance Initiative (PFI) is to be no more – the share prices of contractors and infrastructure funds were untouched by the news.
Franchise fiasco demands procurement reform
MPs on yet another select committee, the House of Commons Transport Select Committee, have slammed public sector procurement practices and skills, this time after an investigation into the failed Intercity East Coast rail franchise
Mediation proving its worth
Approval of the performance of mediators among lawyers is fairly high, with about 80% of them getting a nod of approval in a bi-annual survey – or Mediation Audit – from CEDR (see News). Which means that around one in five of them didn’t perform up to lawyers’ expectations, for which of course there could be many reasons, such as the mediation didn’t go quite the way the lawyer hoped.
Procurement reform pressure mounts
News that Network Rail is to banish retentions and move its future projects onto a Project Bank Account set up is welcome news, especially for Tier 2 contractors in the wake of the Carillion collapse.
BIM expertise in short supply?
Is your lawyer or commercial adviser up to giving you the advice you need in order to incorporate Building Information Modelling (BIM) into your contractual relationships?