To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what proportion of invoices for goods and services procured from small and medium-sized businesses were paid within 10 days of receipt by (a) her Department and (b) the agencies for which her Department is responsible in (i) 2006-07 and (ii) 2007-08; and if she will make a statement. (243494)

This information is not available.

The Department for Communities and Local Government measured and reported the proportion of invoices paid within the 30-day target for the years 2006-07 and 2007-08. Reported performance for these years was 95.37 per cent. and 92.94 per cent. respectively. The introduction of a 10-day target took effect from the current financial year.

Work is now in hand to ensure that we can measure payment performance against a 10-day target and to separately identify payment times to small and medium enterprises.

Payment performance in the Department’s agencies has generally met the target of paying 98 per cent. of invoices within 30 days of the invoice date. The Department is currently liaising with its agencies on the best way forward with the new target and figures are not currently available.