To ask the Minister for Infrastructure for her assessment of the impact current vacancies within DfI Roads and Rivers Centre of Procurement Expertise have on the ability to deliver tenders under the new Roads and Rivers Procurement Strategy for Asphalt Resurfacing 2021-2023 within timescales published on her Department's future tenders list.

In common with all NICS departments, my Department has a high level of vacancies which officials are working hard to prioritise and fill, including posts in the Centre of Procurement Expertise that are delivering the new Procurement Strategy for Asphalt Resurfacing 20212023, and I can confirm that dedicated teams have been established to deliver that strategy. It sets out indicative but challenging timeframes to release tenders for new term contracts and one-off resurfacing schemes. The first one-off resurfacing scheme has been released for tender and the other contracts are largely on track. While there has been some slippage to the published timeframe for the first phase of new term contracts in six areas, this has been necessary to ensure that the procurement process is as robust as it possibly can be. I anticipate that these contracts will be released for tender shortly, with subsequent phases to be released within three month intervals thereafter.