Another scathing report from a parliamentary select committee has further shredded the remnants of the UK’s reputation for infrastructure procurement. We reported two issues ago (CL Vol 30 No 5) on the evidence session of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) which brought out some astonishing revelations in the wake of the discovery that the Crossrail project was late and over budget.
Blog and Comment
TeCSA scheme limits adjudicator costs
It was bound to happen. Adjudication, the lower cost and speedier alternative to taking disputes to court, has ended up being sometimes just as expensive and complex as full-blown, all sides fully lawyered-up, battles in court.
Private procurement failings exposed
Readers of this column will be familiar with the seemingly never ending stream of reports from the likes of the Public Accounts Committee and the National Audit Office as well as House of Lords Committees, highlighting critical failings in public sector procurement capabilities, particularly as they affect delivery of large scale construction and outsourcing projects.
Obituary – Michael Thurston Phipps
It is with great regret that we have to report the sad death on 20 April of long term Construction Law columnist Michael Thurston Phipps, who has provided the Contracts Monitor column for 20 years (Obituary: The Times, 7 May 2019 and “Readers’ Lives”, The Times 25 May 2019).
Capital solution for fair payments
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.
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.