§ Mrs. RocheTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales how often his Department and each agency within it has failed to pay invoices due to small businesses within 30 days in each of the last five years. [40501]
§ Mr. HagueThe information is not available in the form requested and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Departments are required, however, to provide details of their overall annual payment performance in their departmental reports. For 1994–95, the Welsh Office, including its agency Cadw, paid 95 per cent. of its bills in accordance with agreed contractual conditions or, where no such contractual conditions existed, within 30 days of receipt of goods and services or the presentation of a valid invoice. The Department's published figures for the three preceding years were 87 per cent. 76 per cent. and 65 per cent. respectively.