§ Mrs. RocheTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the amount owed to those businesses whose invoices were not paid within the agreed credit period or within 30 days in each of the last five years. [1123]
§ Mr. Hanley[holding answer 22 November]The information available about the amount owed—expressed as a figure and as a percentage of payments as a whole— is set out in the following table:
£000 1993–94 1994–95 11995–96 FCO (DW) — 210(8 per cent.) 243 (8 per cent.) ODA 26,242(13 per cent.) 55,356(13 per cent.) 20,580 (7 per cent.) Wilton Park — 1 (5 per cent.) — NRI — 1,460 (4 per cent.) 1,340 (8 per cent.) 1 To end of October. Most of these invoices have now been paid. To obtain detailed information about amounts owed in earlier years would incur disproportionate cost.