The Office for National Statistics is required to meet a target of 80% of supplier invoices being paid within five days of receipt.
The aim of this policy is to speed up cash flow from HM Government to its suppliers, particularly Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs).
We endeavour to pay all correctly rendered invoices as quickly as possible.
We ask that our suppliers ensure that all submitted invoices are accurate, contain a valid purchase order number, and are sent directly to the invoicing address detailed on our purchase orders.
| Year | Financial Quarter | Percentage paid within 5 days | Percentage paid within 30 days | Total amount of liability to pay interest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 to 2016 | Quarter 1 (Apr to Jun) | 82% | 94% | £0 |
| Quarter 2 (Jul to Sep) | 88% | 99% | £0 | |
| Quarter 3 (Oct to Dec) | 89% | 99% | £0 | |
| Quarter 4 (Jan to Mar) | 82% | 95% | £0 | |
| 2016 to 2017 | Quarter 1 (Apr to Jun) | 87% | 97% | £0 |
| Quarter 2 (Jul to Sep) | 84% | 95% | £0 | |
| Quarter 3 (Oct to Dec) | 84% | 94% | £0 | |
| Quarter 4 (Jan to Mar) | 74% | 90% | £0 | |
| 2017 to 2018 | Quarter 1 (Apr to Jun) | 79% | 94% | £0 |
| Quarter 2 (Jul to Sep) | 83% | 94% | £0 | |
| Quarter 3 (Oct to Dec) | 83% | 96% | £0 | |
| Quarter 4 (Jan to Mar) | 82% | 94% | £0 | |
| 2018 to 2019 | Quarter 1 (Apr to Jun) | 86% | 94% | £0 |
| Quarter 2 (Jul to Sep) | 76% | 92% | £0 | |
| Quarter 3 (Oct to Dec) | 74% | 93% | £0 | |
| Quarter 4 (Jan to Mar) | 83% | 93% | £0 | |
| 2019 to 2020 | Quarter 1 (Apr to Jun) | 83% | 93% | £0 |
| Quarter 2 (Jul to Sep) | 86% | 95% | £0 | |
| Quarter 3 (Oct to Dec) | 81% | 93% | £0 | |
| Quarter 4 (Jan to Mar) | 80% | 94% | £0 | |
| 2020 to 2021 | Quarter 1 (Apr to Jun) | 86% | 93% | £0 |
| Quarter 2 (Jul to Sep) | 82% | 95% | £0 | |
| Quarter 3 (Oct to Dec) | 80% | 96% | £0 | |
| Quarter 4 (Jan to Mar) | 79% | 95% | £0 | |
| 2021 to 2022 | Quarter 1 (Apr to Jun) | 85% | 91% | £0 |
| Quarter 2 (Jul to Sep) | 86% | 92% | £0 | |
| Quarter 3 (Oct to Dec) | 86% | 94% | £0 | |
| Quarter 4 (Jan to Mar) | 82% | 95% | £0 | |
| 2022 to 2023 | Quarter 1 (Apr to Jun) | 83% | 94% | £0 |
| Quarter 2 (Jul to Sep) | 82% | 93% | £0 | |
| Quarter 3 (Oct to Dec) | 83% | 95% | £0 | |
| Quarter 4 (Jan to Mar) | 86% | 91% | £0 | |
| 2023 to 2024 | Quarter 1 (Apr to Jun) | 83% | 94% | £0 |
| Quarter 2 (Jul to Sep) | 90% | 95% | £0 | |
| Quarter 3 (Oct to Dec) | 86% | 97% | £0 | |
| Quarter 4 (Jan to Mar) | 89% | 94% | £0 |
Download this table
.xls .csv
Prompt payment to suppliers for previous years are available on the National Archives.