Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 19 January 2024 to Question 8948 on Treasury: Electronic Purchasing Card Solution and with reference to the Answer of 19 December 2022 to Question 107065 on Treasury: Electronic Purchasing Card Solution, for what reason he did not provide the figures requested.

I would note that procurement cards were introduced by the last Labour Government, who welcomed their use, saying they are a ‘good example of Government learning from the private sector’.

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.

They 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.

HMT incurred the following number of expenditure and total costs or those are included in the table below for the periods in question related to question 8948.

I note that the 2009 figures from the last Labour government are comparable with a total figure of £111,423.