We asked the Cabinet Office if it considers the past performance of companies when procuring suppliers. It said that it did take past performance into account.58 Subsequently the Cabinet Office has written to the Committee to clarify that public procurement regulations state that consideration of a supplier’s past performance when tendering a contract 52 Q 75 53 Letter from Cabinet Office, 5 August 2025 54 C&AG’s Report, para 1 55 BBC News, Teachers in divorce ‘limbo’ take pension legal action, 24 March 2025 56 Q 79 57 Letter from Cabinet Office, 5 August 2025 58 Q 101 14 is at the contractor’s discretion, and that a supplier may be excluded from a tender on grounds of past performance only where past failures were significant such that a contract was terminated early.59