§ Mrs. RocheTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how his Department publicises payment practices other than as percentages of invoices paid late. [965]
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonThe Department's payment practices are publicised in the departmental report and the guide to suppliers wishing to do business 169W with the Scottish Office—"Selling to The Scottish Office". The Department's standard terms and conditions of contract give details of payment terms and what action should be taken by suppliers on late payment of invoices. The booklet and standard terms and conditions are available on request.
§ Mrs. RocheTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the average length of time it takes for his Department to pay invoices. [923]
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonIn 1994–95 the Scottish Office paid suppliers on average 10 days from receipt of a valid invoice or the goods or services, whichever was the later.
This was the result of pursuing three objectives:
- 1. The aim of paying all suppliers within the period stipulated by the contract—normally, but not always, 30 days. This objective was met on 96 per cent. of payments in 1994–95.
- 2. The desirability of taking advantage of early settlement discounts where this makes good business sense.
- 3. The need to batch together payments covering several invoices in order to minimise the administrative costs of making payments.