Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many government procurement cards were held by people to make purchases against her Department’s budget as of (a) 31 December 2022, (b) 31 March 2023 and (c) 31 December 2023.

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. Controls are in place that limit purchase types and values in line with individual departmental controls, and procurement cards are held by officials, not Ministers or Special Advisers.

As of 31 December 2022, the Department had 21 government procurement cards held by DCMS colleagues to make purchases against the Department’s budget.

As of 31 March 2023, the Department had 23 government procurement cards held by DCMS colleagues to make purchases against the Department’s budget.

As of 31 December 2023, the Department had 15 government procurement cards held by DCMS colleagues to make purchases against the Department’s budget.