9. & 10. The General Principles of the Social Partnership and Public Procurement (Wales) Bill and The Financial Resolution in respect of the Social Partnership and Public Procurement (Wales) Bill

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 5:23 pm on 29 November 2022.

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Photo of Jenny Rathbone Jenny Rathbone Labour 5:23, 29 November 2022

Diolch, Llywydd. Thank you, Hannah, for your whistle-stop tour of the response to our recommendations, and we'll obviously have to consider them in detail subsequently. But we very much thank the Deputy Minister for engaging constructively during the Stage 1 process, as well as those 31 organisations and individuals who submitted written evidence, all the witnesses who gave evidence to the committee, both employers and employee representatives, as well as experts involved in the public procurement of goods and services, as well as, I must mention, the excellent support we've had from the Research Service and the committee clerks who supported our work.

The Bill's overarching aim, to improve and enhance public services through partnership working, fair work and socially responsible procurement, is one that the committee supports, in general, the principles of this Bill, apart from one Member. But the Welsh Government does need to set out how it intends to achieve clear and tangible outcomes in more detail, some of which the Deputy Minister may have highlighted earlier today. Placing social partnership on a legal footing would mirror the situation in several neighbouring European countries who have strong workforces and productive economies. And it was notable that representatives of large organisations supported the principles of the Bill, but I can understand why representatives of small businesses didn't see much virtue in it, as they have much less difficulty communicating with their workforces.