Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to his Department’s publication of government procurement card spending over £500, for how many (a) nights and (b) individuals was (i) £4,363 spent at The Kensington Hotel, on 7 November 2022 and (ii) £1,743.44 spent at A Taj Hotel, London, on 23 January 2023; and for what purpose was that accommodation required.

Regarding the first payment for £4,363, although the payment is listed on 7 November 2022, that is, in fact, the date the final transaction was settled by the Cabinet Office. The payment was made in October 2022 and relates to ten members of staff who were supporting the delivery of events in relation to the funeral of Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II as part of a 24-hour government secretariat.

Regarding the second payment for £1,743.44, again the payment date listed is the date the transaction was cleared from the Cabinet Office system. The payment was made in November and relates to two individuals accommodation for 5 nights in London w/c 5th December 2022. These staff were supporting the delivery of an Learning & Development event for senior civil servants as part of the Leadership College for Government offer for permanent secretaries, directors general and equivalents, called the Civil Service Leadership Group.

There is a central contract in place for travel booking including an e-platform in order to provide easy price comparison, payment processing and reporting for staff travel and subsistence driving value for money for taxpayers. Occasionally it is necessary for staff to conduct separate searches for accommodation providers, to continue to achieve the best value during market driven surge pricing such as around major events.