Public sector clause bank

This subtopic is aimed at public sector lawyers dealing with contract matters and contains a selection of guidance and Precedents, including boilerplate and key clauses common to many contracts which govern the general operation of the agreement and the respective rights of the parties. Subjects covered include the use of model contracts, defined terms, the role of boilerplate and an introduction to the rules of jurisdiction.

The selected guidance in this subtopic is intended to provide an overview of some of the key terms relevant for drafting contracts and frameworks. Further Precedents and guidance are available from Lexis+® UK Commercial and Dispute Resolution.

Government model contracts

The Cabinet Office maintains three standard contract document collections, with templates and guidance for government contracts:

•
Model Services Contract
•
Mid-Tier Contract
•
Short Form Contract

In-scope authorities (central government departments, executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies) are urged to adopt the standard contracts, instead of using bespoke contracts, unless there is an existing government framework available. Other public sector bodies are also encouraged to apply a standardised approach. This approach is intended to save money, time and resources

To view the latest version of this document and thousands of others like it, sign-in with LexisNexis or register for a free trial.

TAKE A FREE TRIAL

Latest Local Government News

Education Committee urges government not to cut Universal Credit for care leavers

The House of Commons Education Committee has urged ministers not to reduce Universal Credit support for care leavers aged under-22, following the Department for Education's (DfE) response to the Committee's children's social care report. The government stated 'no decisions have been made yet' on proposed Universal Credit cuts for under-22s, with any savings intended for the new Youth Guarantee scheme. The DfE committed to consulting the Committee on potential profit caps for children's services providers and agreed to pilot co-located mental health services for looked after children. The government rejected several recommendations including a National Care Offer and national workforce strategy, while confirming it will consult young people during the Timms Review on Personal Independence Payments reform.

Cabinet Office publishes Anti-slavery Risk Tiering Tool guidance

The Cabinet Office has published guidance on the Anti-slavery Risk Tiering Tool (ARTT). The tool replaces the Home Office Modern Slavery Risk Assessment Tool and has been developed by a cross-departmental team including representatives from UK Parliament, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government, Department for Transport and Integrated Corporate Services. The ARTT is aligned with Procurement Policy Note 009 on tackling modern slavery in government supply chains and incorporates requirements introduced by the Procurement Act 2023. The tool rates procurement contracts as high, medium or low risk based on responses to six risk-characteristic questions covering factors including industry, commodity and supply chain geography. It incorporates Global Slavery Index 2023 data and the US Department of Labor List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor 2024. The tool includes automated risk-rating functionality and provides guidance on due diligence questions, country risk data and recommended next steps for compliance with modern slavery requirements in government procurement.

MHCLG adds draft Best Value Direction to LGPS consultation

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has added a Draft Updated Best Value Direction document to its ongoing consultation on Local Government Pension Scheme improvements in England and Wales. The three page draft direction supplements the consultation covering pension access proposals including normal minimum pension age, mayor and councillor pension access, academies participation and new Fair Deal arrangements. The consultation remains open until 22 December 2025.

Welsh Government announces conclusion of 2025–26 optometry contract negotiations

The Welsh Government has announced the successful conclusion of the 2025–26 tripartite negotiations between the Welsh Government, NHS Wales and Optometry Wales. The agreement includes a contract envelope uplift of approximately £3m, backdated to April 2025, to support the ongoing reform of optometry services. The Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, Jeremy Miles MS, stated that the agreement represents an investment in primary care optometry and reaffirms the Welsh Government’s commitment to improving access to high-quality eye care services across Wales.

View Local Government by content type :

News