Well summer has finally arrived and the Procurement Bill is still winding its way through parliament. Is Royal Assent in the late summer / autumn still possible? We are getting closer, but the timetable is now looking tight. The secondary legislation will take time to draft and the looming general election in May 2024 could delay everything.
Whitehall officials are sticking to the script: The Bill is currently at the Report Stage in the House of Commons and is intended to come into force sometime in 2023. The Bill has a six month run in period. The government has said that the run-in period will not commence until secondary legislation, which will put meat on the bones for some aspects of the Bill, has been consulted upon and laid before Parliament. This means it is now likely that it will be early next year before the Bill is in effect.
On the whole, the provisions of the Bill apply equally to England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Scotland will retain its own procurement regulations in relation to its devolved authorities. You can read the latest version of the Bill and follow its progress through the legislative process here. You can access the latest news on the government’s training and development package here.
Late Update: On 8 June 2023 The Cabinet Office issued an update on the Procurement Bill’s progress and stated that “Now that we are nearing the conclusion of the Parliamentary process we can advise that we are now planning for an October 2024 commencement [of the Procurement Act] – following a six month preparation period.”
In2 the bargain 