Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, how many purchases with a value of less than £500 were made against his Department’s budget through a Government procurement card in calendar year 2022; and what was the total cost of those purchases.

Government Procurement Cards provide an efficient route to enable key staff to procure goods and services, necessary to the promotion of British interests overseas and the maintenance of our embassies and high commissions. All purchases are subject to authorisation by managers and audit checks.

In the calendar year 2022 there were 133,292 transactions under £500. These transactions amounted to a total spend value of £13,563,777.20. This figure relates to spend on all Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) issued Government Procurement Cards and may therefore include costs eventually charged to the budgets of other Government Departments.