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LGA response to Part 2 Consultation on draft regulations to implement the Procurement Bill
In consultation with the National Advisory Group (NAG) for Procurement, the LGA responded to the Part 2 Consultation on draft regulations to implement the Procurement Bill last week, disagreeing on the Pipeline Notice, the Transparency Notice and the Assessment Survey and noting that some of these would bring new burdens to councils. We called for more discussion on areas such as excluding suppliers for poor performance and the central digital platform and noted that there were no questions in the consultation about other parts of legislation that needed to be considered, such as the Transport Act (1988) and the Service Subsidy Agreement Regulations (2002).
If you would like to see a copy of our response, please contact your National Advisory Group (NAG) for Procurement representative or email us at productivity@local.gov.uk
Reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) in education settings – guidance and FAQs
The Department for Education (DfE) has announced a change in the DfE approach to managing reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) – a building material found in some school buildings and other education settings – and issued a Everything you need to know about the new guidance on RAAC in education settings document. DfE has been monitoring all confirmed cases of RAAC closely and has advised education settings to vacate all spaces or buildings that are known to contain RAAC, unless they already have mitigations in place to make the building safe. With temporary building suppliers likely to charge a premium and site worker availability limited by summer holidays, the costs will be significant.
Concerns are being raised by councils over both funding and scrutiny of project delivery – as well as emissions from demolition – and the LGA has issued a response to the RAAC school buildings closure announcement Affected schools and councils are advised to check their framework agreements. Crown Commercial Service has an Offsite Construction Solutions framework and affected parties are also advised to speak to their regional National Association of Construction Frameworks (NACF) member for advice.
Swimming Pool Support Fund
Phase II of the Government's Swimming Pool Support Fund will be open for applications between Monday 4 September until noon on Tuesday 17 October. It is a competitive fund with a pot of £60 million for capital investment to improve the energy efficiency of public facilities with pools in the medium to long term.
Responsible procurement diagnostic – Suffolk County Council case study
Associates from the East of England LGA’s (EELGA) Talent Bank worked alongside Suffolk County Council to test if a new responsible procurement diagnostic is capable of helping organisations overcome common problems such as conflicting agendas and priorities and turning commitments into reality. You can find out more in the responsible procurement diagnostic case study or access further EELGA news in the EELGA newsletter.
Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) update on consumer protection work in the housing sector
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) issued updates on two pieces of work in the housing sector:
World Commerce and Contracting (World CC) local government awareness survey
World Commerce and Contracting (World CC) – formerly International Association for Contract and Commercial Management (IACCM) – is a global not-for-profit membership association providing international standards and best practice guidance on negotiating contracts, contract simplification, and supplier management. World CC is seeking feedback from local authorities to assess the local government sector’s awareness of World CC and to identify what aspects of World CC’s services and resources would be most beneficial to the sector.
Kent County Council | Strategic Procurement and Commercial Lead – People
West Yorkshire Combined Authority | Commercial Manager (Professional Services and Technology)
London Borough of Hackney | Senior Procurement Officer
Market exit simulation (Department of Health and Social Care workshop)
Tuesday 12 September, 10.30am–12.00pm | Virtual meeting
The threats and opportunities of AI and automation ('iN The Loop' webcast)
Tuesday 19 September, 10.00am–11.00am | Virtual meeting
Procurement Reform roadshows (Newcastle, Birmingham, Norwich, Bristol, Liverpool, Sheffield and Nottingham)
Tuesday 3 October–21 November | In person
Procurex Cymru / Wales
Wednesday 8 November | Utilita Arena, Mary Ann Street, Cardiff CF10 2EQ
iNetwork Annual Conference
Thursday 30 November | Hyatt Regency Manchester, 55 Booth Street West, Manchester M15 6PQ and virtual meeting
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