§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the occasions on which her Department, agencies and non-departmental public bodies failed to pay valid invoices within 30 days or after the agreed credit period within financial year 2001–02. [104313]
§ Alun MichaelInformation on the occasions where the Department, Agencies and non-departmental public bodies failed to pay valid invoices within the 30 days or after the agreed credit period can be obtained only by disproportionate cost. However I am able to say that the percentage of bills which were paid by Defra within 30 days of receipt of a valid invoice was 91 per cent., or 85 per cent. when FMD transactions are included for financial year 2001–02. The average percentage of bills paid by the Departments' Agencies was 93 per cent. over the same period. The average percentage of bills paid by the Departments non-departmental public bodies was 76 per cent. over the same period.