To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether the standard terms and conditions of purchase used by his Department in the procurement of goods and services from the private sector prohibit the assignment of debt. (172439)

The Ministry of Justice’s standard terms and conditions of contract contain a clause preventing third parties from deriving any benefits from the contract, unless this is explicitly agreed by both parties to the contract. This clause would prevent the supplier assigning the benefits of the contract to meet obligations such as debts. We also have a clause that prevents the supplier from assigning the contract without our consent.