Public sector procurement must help the government achieve a fairer society, civil servants heard at the Single Equality Bill conference last week.

Treasury minister Angela Eagle told delegates that the government’s annual £175bn spending should support its commitment to equality of opportunity.

Speaking last week, Eagle said: “Procurement really can have a positive impact on people’s lives. It’s not just possible but essential that we not only achieve better value for money through public procurement, but that we also use [procurement] to achieve a fairer society and greater equality of opportunity for all.”

Eagle used the conference, organised by Westminster Explained and Green Park, to launch new advice from the Office of Government Commerce (OGC) on how equality issues can be tackled within procurement rules.

The government’s new Single Equality Bill could provide more routes for buyers to support equality, for example by imposing additional requirements on suppliers.