Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how many government procurement cards were held by people to make purchases against her Department’s budget as of (a) 31 March 2023 and (b) 31 December 2023.

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.

The figures for DSIT are as follows:

Cardholders as at 31 March 2023 – 186

Cardholders as at 31 December 2023 – 215

The figures above include former BEIS cardholders. There have been 11 new DSIT cardholders since July 2023.