§ Chris RuaneTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which Government Departments operate a system of retention in their building programme. [30572]
§ Mr. Andrew SmithTreasury does not collect data on which Departments do or do not operate a system of retention in their building programmes. This is a matter for individual Government Departments.
The Achieving Excellence in Construction initiative, led by the Office of Government Commerce, is placing greater emphasis on team working and value for money procurement strategies and is encouraging central Government construction clients to use partnering and long-term commercial agreements with suppliers to reduce the need for retentions in the future.