§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will list the occasions on which her departmental agencies and non-departmental public bodies failed to pay valid invoices within 30 days or after the agreed credit period in the financial year 2001–02. [104307]
§ Dr. HowellsThere were 270 occasions when valid invoices were not paid within 30 days by the Royal Parks Agency in 2001–02, and these are listed at the Annex.
The Department is not able to list the occurrences of non-payment by its 41 non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) other than at disproportionate cost. Notwithstanding this, Treasury guidance requires all NDPBs to disclose in the foreword to their annual report and accounts a statement describing the payment policy adopted on the payment of suppliers, and performance achieved in the reporting period. The foreword should therefore provide an indication of the payment performance of each NDPB.