Abandoning a Procurement – Is it time to jump ship?
9 January 2025
Insight Hub
18 December 2024
Overview On 16 December 2024, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (“MHCLG”) released the English Devolution White Paper (the “White Paper”), setting out plans to develop devolution in England with the intention of “unleashing power from Whitehall back into local communities that know their areas best”. The Government announced plans to merge local…
Read more12 December 2024
On 11 December the Competition and Markets Authority (‘CMA’) announced that it had launched an investigation into suspected bid-rigging in relation to a key government fund for improving the condition of school buildings. Bid-rigging has serious competition and procurement implications, and the CMA has issued almost £60 million in fines in the last year alone…
Read more3 December 2024
Bus franchising is a model for providing bus services where local authorities have the power to determine the details of the services being provided, including where they run, when they run and the standards of the service. Usually, this will involve the local authority letting an appropriate contract to a bus operator who will provide…
Read more1 October 2024
Recent reports, such as that published by Middlesbrough Council earlier this year exploring their value for money arrangements, have outlined how some local authorities have struggled to secure economy, efficiency and effectiveness in the use of resources. With several high-profile section 114 notices also being issued by authorities including Birmingham City Council in late 2023,…
Read more28 May 2024
Allan Owen and Beth Edwards provide a summary of the High Court’s recent Judgement in Tata Consultancy Services Ltd v Disclosure and Barring Service which provides useful guidance on limits of liability.[1] Facts The Disclosure and Barring Service (“DBS”) entered into a contract with Tata Consultancy Services Limited (“TCS”) for both the operation of “business…
Read more23 May 2024
Following the prime minister’s announcement that a general election will take place on 4 July, Steve Gummer and Beth Edwards provide an outline on what this means for local authorities. What is the pre-election period? The pre-election period of heightened sensitivity (also known simply as the “pre-election period” and previously known as “purdah”) is the…
Read more14 August 2023
The recent High Court case of Andrew Bellis v Sky House Construction Ltd provided clarity on termination provisions in JCT contracts, and specifically when a termination notice can be issued. Terminations always have tricky procedures, even if it is cut and dry that a contractor is in breach and a right to terminate has arisen….
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