Asked by: Emily Thornberry (Labour - Islington South and Finsbury)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much her Department spent on government procurement card purchases (a) above and (b) below £500 net of refunded payments in (i) 2022 and (ii) 2023.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department, including its Arm’s Length Bodies and Executive Agencies, spent the following amounts via an Electronic Procurement Card Solution (ePCS), previously known as Government Procurement Card (GPC):
(a) Spending above £500
The department publishes its ePCS expenditure over £500 data on GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/dfe-government-procurement-card-gpc-over-500 . The amounts published are consistent with the transparency policy and guidance: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/payment-cards-pan-government-policy .
For the calendar years, the total value of the sum of individual ePCS transactions above £500 (and net of individual refund transactions above £500) was (i) £4,665,676.98 in 2022 and (ii) £8,949,303.97 in 2023.
There are differences between the terms of this question and the Pan Government Policy. For example, in the treatment of individual transactions made on the same day, refunds and the time periods considered
(b) Spending below £500
For the calendar years, the total value of the sum of individual ePCS transactions below £500 (and net of individual refund transactions below £500) was (i) £416,010.02 in 2022 and (ii) £630,834.53 in 2023.
Asked by: Emily Thornberry (Labour - Islington South and Finsbury)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to the Answer of 24 October 2024 to Question 9824 on Northern Ireland Office: Ministers' Private Offices, how much was spent on (a) new furniture and fittings and (b) other refurbishment of Ministerial offices in his Department between 4 July 2022 and 4 July 2024; and on what items this was spent.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The Northern Ireland Office has not spent any money on new furniture and fittings, or other refurbishment of Ministerial offices between 4 July 2022 and 4 July 2024.
Asked by: Emily Thornberry (Labour - Islington South and Finsbury)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many government procurement cards were held by staff within (a) her core Department and (b) executive agencies of her Department at the end of calendar years (i) 2022 and (ii) 2023.
Answered by Mike Kane - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The number of Government Procurement Cards allocated to individuals for making purchases against (a) the core Department's budget was:
(i) As of December 31, 2022: 325
(ii) As of December 31, 2023: 324
The number of Government Procurement Cards allocated to individuals for making purchases against (b) the executive agencies’ budgets was:
(i) As of December 31, 2022: 304
(ii) As of December 31, 2023: 280
The Department for Transport has a clear policy for card allocation. Applications for cards must be accompanied by confirmation that budget holders approve the issue of the card within their delegated budget areas. The application confirms the Merchant Category Codes the individual is authorised to use and proposed card transaction limit and monthly limit. Card applications must include a signature to confirm that the cardholder has read and accepted departmental policies and the consequences of misuse.
Asked by: Emily Thornberry (Labour - Islington South and Finsbury)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 22 October 2024 to Question 9281 on Department for Transport: Ministers' Private Offices, how much was spent on (a) new furniture and fittings and (b) other refurbishment of Ministerial offices in her Department between 4 July 2022 and 4 July 2024; and on what items this was spent.
Answered by Mike Kane - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Between 4 July 2022 and 4 July 2024 the Department spent £405 on furniture for Ministerial offices. No other costs were incurred during this period.
Asked by: Emily Thornberry (Labour - Islington South and Finsbury)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many government procurement cards were held by staff within (a) HM Treasury and (b) HMRC at the end of calendar years (i) 2022 and (ii) 2023.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
Procurement cards assist with the reduction in procurement bureaucracy, boost efficiency and support the Government’s prompt payment initiative for Small and Medium businesses.
Controls are in place that limit purchase types and values in line with individual departmental controls.
The number of procurement cards held by HM Treasury staff were
(i) 68 at the end of 2022
(ii) 68 at the end of 2023
The number of procurement cards held by HMRC Staff were
(i) 161 at the end of 2022
(ii) 159 at the end of 2023.
Asked by: Emily Thornberry (Labour - Islington South and Finsbury)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many government procurement cards were held by staff within (a) his core Department and its predecessor departments and (b) executive agencies of those departments at the end of calendar years (i) 2022 and (ii) 2023.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
UKSBS have confirmed the following numbers of government procurement cards were held by the Department for Business and Trade/Department for International Trade:
Department | Year | GPC Cards held |
Department for Business and Trade/Department for International Trade | 2023 | 211 |
Department for International Trade | 2022 | 171 |
UKSBS have confirmed that totals for executive agencies are not held.
Asked by: Emily Thornberry (Labour - Islington South and Finsbury)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to the Answer of 21 October 2024 to Question 9284 on Wales Office: Ministers' Private Offices, how much was spent on (a) new furniture and fittings and (b) other refurbishment of Ministerial offices in her Department between 4 July 2022 and 4 July 2024; and on what items this was spent.
Answered by Nia Griffith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Wales Office)
The Department spent £4,277.25 on refurbishment of Ministers Offices between 4 July 2022 and 4 July 2024. The spend was on:
£286.76 - replacement of two blind cords with plastic cords;
£3,990.49 - re-upholstering of five leather chairs in the London Office.
The spend was under the previous administration.
Asked by: Emily Thornberry (Labour - Islington South and Finsbury)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to the Answer of 23 October 2024 to Question 9830 on Scotland Office: Ministers' Private Offices, how much was spent on (a) new furniture and fittings and (b) other refurbishment of Ministerial offices in his Department between 4 July 2022 and 4 July 2024; and on what items this was spent.
Answered by Ian Murray - Secretary of State for Scotland
The Scotland Office has incurred no costs on new furniture and fittings or other refurbishment (including moves) of Ministerial offices during the period 4 July 2022 to 4 July 2024.
Asked by: Emily Thornberry (Labour - Islington South and Finsbury)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much his Department spent on government procurement card purchases (a) above and (b) below £500 net of refunded payments in (i) 2022 and (ii) 2023.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
(a) Published departmental transaction level data on government procurement
card (GPC) purchases for transactions over £500 in accordance with policy are at the following link:
The guiding policy setting out the requirement to publish GPC transactions over £500 remains in place. Guidance is available to all government departments on gov.uk at the following link:
The policy clearly sets out the standard that departments must publish to which covers
transaction date, transaction reference, merchant name and the amount spent.
(b) The following table sets out the core department’s expenditure using government procurement cards for transactions under £500 for each of the calendar years stated.
2022 | 2023 | |
Value of Transactions under £500 | £356,046 | £388,007 |
Asked by: Emily Thornberry (Labour - Islington South and Finsbury)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many government procurement cards were held by staff within (a) his core Department and (b) executive agencies of his Department at the end of calendar years (i) 2022 and (ii) 2023.
Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The number of cards held across the Ministry of Defence and DSTL (executive agency) at the end of calendar years 2022 and 2023 were as follows:
End of Calendar Year | Core Department | Executive Agencies |
2022 | 8,853 | 281 |
2023 | 8,542 | 302 |