Written questions, answers and statements

Bright Tribe Multi-academy Trust

Show full question

Question for Department for Education

UIN 40979, tabled on 20 June 2016

Question

Mr Jamie Reed
Labour
Copeland
Commons

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions her Department has had with Bright Tribe academy trust on procurement practice.

Answer

Edward Timpson
Conservative
Crewe and Nantwich
Commons

Answered on

29 June 2016

The department has assessed the procurement arrangements at Bright Tribe trust as part of a financial management and assurance review by the EFA. The review highlighted that the trust procurement practices had not followed a recognised open market tendering procurement exercise and that the majority of the trusts services had been outsourced to companies connected to its sponsor. The company provided at cost statements for these services and the external auditors did not raise any issues with at cost. The Trust has introduced a new procurement model which is currently under review by the EFA.

The NAO contacted the EFA in February 2016 regarding related party transactions at Bright Tribe. The NAO have been kept updated on the EFA review of the Bright Tribe case.

Answered by

Department for Education
Named day
Named day questions only occur in the House of Commons. The MP tabling the question specifies the date on which they should receive an answer. MPs may not table more than five named day questions on a single day.