Asked by: Harriett Baldwin (Conservative - West Worcestershire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the cost to the public purse was of administering cheque payments across government in 2024-25 financial year.
Answered by Darren Jones - Minister for Intergovernmental Relations
The information requested is not held by HM Treasury and could only be produced at a disproportionate cost due to the scope and complexity of analysis required.
Asked by: Harriett Baldwin (Conservative - West Worcestershire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether her Department collects information on the number of cheques issued by (a) the Government and (b) central government public bodies in 2024-25.
Answered by Darren Jones - Minister for Intergovernmental Relations
Cheques are issued individually by Government Departments and other central government public bodies. HM Treasury does not collect information on the number of cheques issued.
Asked by: Andrew Gwynne (Independent - Gorton and Denton)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many cheques have been drafted by government departments and executive agencies in each year since 2010.
Answered by Harriett Baldwin - Shadow Minister (Business and Trade)
HM Treasury does not hold this information. Each government department and executive agency will hold this information for their own bank accounts. Public sector organisations should follow guidelines set out in “Managing Public Money”. The key points within these guidelines are that public sector organisations should generally use the cheapest, safest and quickest means of moving public funds, depending on the context, and a hierarchy of money transmission services is provided.
Asked by: Lord Knight of Weymouth (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answers by Lord O’Neill of Gatley on 1 February (HL5090 and HL5091), whether they will now provide the direct link to that information, and why they did not provide that link in those answers.
Answered by Lord O'Neill of Gatley
The relevant information is available at “Box A5.6D : money transmission services ranked in order of choice” in the Treasury guidance on “Managing Public Money”.
Asked by: Lord Knight of Weymouth (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what postage type was used by government departments, including their agencies and public bodies, to issue cheques in (1) 2015, (2) 2014, (3) 2013, and (4) 2012.
Answered by Lord O'Neill of Gatley
The information requested is not held centrally. The Government Banking Service is a provider of banking services across Government, but each Government Department is responsible for setting its own policy in regards to making payments by cheque. Further details are set out in the publication, “Managing Public Money” which is available on Gov.uk.
Asked by: Lord Knight of Weymouth (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many cheques were issued by each government department, including their agencies and public bodies, in (1) 2015, (2) 2014, (3) 2013, and (4) 2012, and what was the value of those cheques.
Answered by Lord O'Neill of Gatley
The information requested is not held centrally. The Government Banking Service is a provider of banking services across Government, but each Government Department is responsible for setting its own policy in regards to making payments by cheque. Further details are set out in the publication, “Managing Public Money” which is available on Gov.uk.