Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how many purchases with a value less than £500 were made against the budget of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy through a Government procurement card (a) in calendar year 2022 and (b) from 1 January to 7 February 2023; and what was the total cost of those purchases.

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.

Transactions less than £500 were as follows:

Calendar Year 2022:

1) No. of Transactions: 5340

2) Value: £302557.24

1st Jan 2023 to 7th Feb 2023(inc):

1) No. of Transactions: 582

2) Value: £42442.47