Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to his Department’s published data on government procurement card spend over £500 for September 2022, what was purchased from Camel Valley Ltd on 1 and 2 September 2022; and for what purpose were those purchases used.

Camel Valley is an award-winning English wine producer. There is an expectation that UK diplomatic missions procure and serve British wine whenever possible for official entertainment to boost exports, support and promote UK business overseas and project soft power.

Incorrect amounts were charged and later refunded. These are not shown in published data. The corrected spend was £4,441.80. Purchasing in bulk accorded a 40% saving, purchasing equivalent quality European wines locally would have cost £17,145.70 more.