Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the Prompt Payment Policy applies to payments due from Government departments to (a) sign-language interpreters and (b) other self-employed people providing services to Government departments; if he will hold discussions with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on delays to payments to sign-language interpreters providing services to Access to Work claimants on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions; and if he will make a statement.

As per the Public Contract Regulations 2015, public sector buyers must include 30-day payment terms in new public sector contracts. Public sector buyers must also make sure this payment term is passed down the supply chain.

Government departments are committed to paying all valid and undisputed invoices within 30 days. Government departments publish their payment performance against 5 and 30 days on a quarterly basis on GOV.UK. DWP's latest published report shows they paid 95.7% of valid and undisputed invoices within 5 days and 99.5% of valid and undisputed invoices in 30 days covering April - June of this year.