Stockton Council awarded £17m in contracts under rule exceptions

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 15 Oct, 17:33 · Archive

Stockton Council awarded 102 contracts worth £17.3m by making exceptions to its normal procurement rules in 18 months.

Stockton Council awarded £17.3m in contracts through 102 exemptions to its normal procurement rules over the last 18 months, sparking political criticism. The Conservative opposition said the figure 'raises serious questions about Labour's grip on public spending', while the Labour-led council insisted 'it is not a free-for-all'.

The council's people select committee heard that exceptions to competition, quotes and tender requirements can be justified for urgent works, technical reasons or exclusive rights. However, Martin Skipsey, assistant director for procurement and governance, told the committee the total 'come as a bit of a surprise'. Of construction contracts alone, £14.6m were awarded directly without competition and £2.8m made under exceptions were 'much higher than I expected'.

Skipsey acknowledged some exceptions may reflect poor planning or insufficient due diligence, saying the council 'might want to be better at challenging and making sure we are getting value for money, and not using exceptions inappropriately'. He gave urgent school ceiling repairs as an example of a justified exception. He stressed that the bulk of construction contracts, worth nearly £60m, were awarded through competitive processes, and that even direct awards and exceptions were scrutinised by professionals who challenged prices.

How it is being reported

• Political row erupts over £17m of council contracts awarded under exceptionsRevelations about Stockton Council awarding over £17m worth of contracts without following its normal rules have sparked political debate.The Northern Echo · 15 Oct, 17:00
• Political debate in Stockton over £17m in contracts awarded through exceptions to council rulesThe Conservatives have said it 'raises serious questions about Labour's grip on public spending', while Labour says 'it is not a free-for-all'TeessideLive · 15 Oct, 00:01

In this story: Stockton Council · Labour · Conservative · Martin Skipsey · Stockton

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