Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what proportion of small and medium-sized enterprises suppliers were paid within 30 days of invoice date by prime contractors to Government departments in the last 12 months.

Through the Public Contract Regulations 2015, public sector buyers must include 30-day payment terms in new public sector contracts; and require that this payment term be passed down the supply chain. Public sector buyers must also publish annually on their payment performance.

Information on prompt payment by prime contractors is not held centrally. However, between 1 November 2016 and 31 October 2017, seven cases of late payment in the supply chain were referred to our Mystery Shopper Service.