Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many government procurement cards were held by people to make purchases against his Department’s budget as of (a) 31 December 2022, (b) 31 March 2023 and (c) 31 December 2023.

The following table sets out the number of procurement cardholders on each given date.

Procurement cards assist with the reduction in procurement bureaucracy, boost efficiency, support the Government’s prompt payment initiative for small and medium businesses, and help maintain cash flow to suppliers.

Procurement cards are used as defined by the departmental procurement acquisition model, agreed by procurement and finance colleagues.

Controls are in place that limit purchase types and values in line with individual departmental controls.

Procurement cards are held by officials, not Ministers or Special Advisers.