Thank you for contacting the Children’s Commissioner for England. This is
an automatic acknowledgement to let you know we have received your query and
will respond as soon as possible.

If you are contacting us with an urgent concern:

• We have an Advice Team for children and young people who are in care,
leaving care, living away from home or working with children’s services.
The Advice Team can be reached by free phone on 0800 528 0731 or at
[email address]<mailto:[email address]> and is staffed from 9am to 5pm
Monday to Friday.

• If you have an urgent concern about a child protection issue, you should
contact your local police or social services.

• Children can also call Childline on 0800 1111 and adults can call the
NSPCC child protection helpline on 0808 800 5000.

Many thanks,

Children’s Commissioner
Sanctuary Buildings,
Great Smith Street,
London SW1P 3BT

Web: www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk<http://www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk/>
Twitter: @ChildrensComm

show quoted sections

Dear Ms Aitken,

Thank you for your request, received by us on 30th March 2016for the following information:

1: How many Government Procurement Cards are held by your organisation and who is authorised to use them.
2. the total amounts spent on any Government Procurement Cards held by your organisation for the following time periods:

February 2014- February 2005.
March 2015 - date
3. How much of the spending outlined in item 2 above was on hospitality (food, drink and other entertainment) for staff and stakeholders.

With regard to the dates detailed above can I confirm that you are requesting information for the periods 1st February 2014 to 28th February 2015 and 1st March 2015 to 31st March 2016.

We are processing this request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Under the Act we must respond promptly and in any event within 20 working days from the date we received your request.

Please note the Act defines a limited set of exemptions from the right to know. If we decide not to release any information we shall explain why, which exemption we are relying on and how you can appeal.

Yours sincerely,

Lyn

Lyn Foster
Business Support Adviser

Office of the Children's Commissioner
Sanctuary Buildings
Great Smith Street
London SW1P 3BT

Direct Line: 020 7783 8203
Telephone: 0207 783 8330

Advice and Assistance free phone for children and young people receiving social care services, in or leaving care, or living away from home: 0800 528 0731

Email: [email address]
Web: www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk

https://www.facebook.com/officeofthechil...

https://twitter.com/ChildrensComm

Please think of the environment before you print this email 

show quoted sections

Thank you for contacting the Children’s Commissioner for England. This is
an automatic acknowledgement to let you know we have received your query and
will respond as soon as possible.

If you are contacting us with an urgent concern:

• We have an Advice Team for children and young people who are in care,
leaving care, living away from home or working with children’s services.
The Advice Team can be reached by free phone on 0800 528 0731 or at
[email address]<mailto:[email address]> and is staffed from 9am to 5pm
Monday to Friday.

• If you have an urgent concern about a child protection issue, you should
contact your local police or social services.

• Children can also call Childline on 0800 1111 and adults can call the
NSPCC child protection helpline on 0808 800 5000.

Many thanks,

Children’s Commissioner
Sanctuary Buildings,
Great Smith Street,
London SW1P 3BT

Web: www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk<http://www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk/>
Twitter: @ChildrensComm

Dear Ms Aitkin,

 

Thank you for your Freedom of Information request which we received on the
Wednesday the 30th March, in which you seek information about spending by
the Children's Commissioner's Office using Government Procurement Cards.

 

I have provided below a response to all your questions  and I have also
included a narrative in order to explain the procedures which govern the
use of our Government Procurement Cards by staff.   

 

 

Question 1: How many Government Procurement Cards are held by your
organisation and who is authorised to use them.

 

Response: During the period February  2014 to February 2016 the Children’s
Commissioner’s office has had two Government Procurement Cards (GPC).

 

These cards were issued in the following names:

 

•             Susan Berelowitz, the former Deputy Children’s Commissioner;

 

•             Anne Longfield, current Children’s Commissioner for England.

 

The Children’s Commissioner’s Financial procedures govern all the spending
on our Government Procurement Cards.  All staff are able to purchase goods
or services using the  Government Procurement Cards. However, they must
first obtain approval from their line manager and they are then required
to raise a Purchase Order, which can only be authorised one of three named
senior managers, including the Children's Commissioner. When the monthly
GPC statement is received, all expenditure on the card is audited by the
Finance department to ensure that it can be allocated to an approved
Purchase Order. The office is also subject to an annual audit by the
National Audit Office and expenditure using our Government Procurement
Cards is included as part of their audit.

 

 

Question 2. the total amounts spent on any Government Procurement Cards
held by your organisation for the following time periods:

1st February 2014 to 28th February 2015.

1st March 2015 to 29th February 2016.

 

Response:

 

1st March 2014 to 28th February 2015 Total Expenditure for both cards:
£7,739.66

 

1st March 2015 to 29th February 2016 Total Expenditure for both cards:
£22,720.35

 

With regard to information you have requested for February 2014, I am
afraid that I cannot provide you with this information today but you will
receive it within the next 10 working days. 

 

 

Question 3. How much of the spending outlined in item 2 above was on
hospitality (food, drink and other entertainment) for staff and
stakeholders.

 

Response:

 

1st March 2014 to 28th February 2015 Total Expenditure for both cards on
hospitality (food, drink and other entertainment) for staff, stakeholders
and children and young people: £1,176.47

 

1st March 2015 to 29th February 2016 Total Expenditure for both cards on
hospitality (food, drink and other entertainment) for staff, stakeholders
and children and young people: £1,451.80

 

With regard to information you have requested for February 2014, I am
afraid that I cannot provide you with this information today but you will
receive it within the next 10 working days. 

 

I trust you find the above information helpful.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

 

Lyn Foster

Business Support Adviser

 

Office of the Children's Commissioner

Sanctuary Buildings

Great Smith Street

London SW1P 3BT

 

Direct Line: 020 7783 8203

Telephone: 0207 783 8330

 

Advice and Assistance free phone for children and young people receiving
social care services, in or leaving care, or living away from home: 0800
528 0731

 

Email: [1][email address]

Web: [2]www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk  

 

[3]https://www.facebook.com/officeofthechil...

 

[4]https://twitter.com/ChildrensComm  

 

Please think of the environment before you print this email 

 

show quoted sections

Dear Ms Aitkin,

 

I refer to my email dated 27^th April regarding your Freedom of
Information request, about spending by the Children's Commissioner's
Office using Government Procurement Cards.

 

As I explained in my email I was hoping to be able to provide you with
information relating to our total expenditure in February 2014 on our GPC
cards and how much we spent on hospitality, by today. Unfortunately,  we
have been unable to access this information electronically and we are
waiting to receive it, as a paper copy.

 

As  soon as I have received this information I will forward it onto you.

 

Please accept my sincere apologies and I will contact you again by Friday
27^th May.

 

With Kind regards,

 

Lyn

 

 

Lyn Foster

Business Support Adviser

 

Office of the Children's Commissioner
Sanctuary Buildings
Great Smith Street
London SW1P 3BT

Direct Line: 020 7783 8203
Telephone: 0207 783 8330

 

Advice and Assistance free phone for children and young people receiving
social care services, in or leaving care, or living away from home: 0800
528 0731

 

Email: [1][email address]
Web: [2]www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk

 

[3]https://www.facebook.com/officeofthechil...

 

[4]https://twitter.com/ChildrensComm

 

Please think of the environment before you print this email P

 

show quoted sections

Dear Lorraine,

 

I refer to my email of the 13^th May regarding the above Freedom of
Information request.

 

Please find below the information relating to our total expenditure in
February 2014 on our GPC cards and how much we spent on hospitality:

 

Total amounts spent on any Government Procurement Cards held by our office
February 2014: £644.98

How much of this spending was on hospitality (food, drink and other
entertainment) for staff and stakeholders, February 2014: £83.23.

 

With kind regards,

 

Lyn

 

Lyn Foster

Business Support Adviser

 

Office of the Children's Commissioner
Sanctuary Buildings
Great Smith Street
London SW1P 3BT

Direct Line: 020 7783 8203
Telephone: 0207 783 8330

 

Advice and Assistance free phone for children and young people receiving
social care services, in or leaving care, or living away from home: 0800
528 0731

 

Email: [1][email address]
Web: [2]www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk

 

[3]https://www.facebook.com/officeofthechil...

 

[4]https://twitter.com/ChildrensComm

 

Please think of the environment before you print this email P

 

 

From: [email address]

Received: 13/05/2016 12:40:34

Subject: 201600173 Freedom of Information request - Spending on Government
Procurement Card

To: "" ([FOI #325332 email])
Date Sent: 13/05/2016 12:40:34

Dear Ms Aitkin,
 
I refer to my email dated 27th April regarding your Freedom of Information
request, about spending by the Children's Commissioner's Office using
Government Procurement Cards.
 
As I explained in my email I was hoping to be able to provide you with
information relating to our total expenditure in February 2014 on our GPC
cards and how much we spent on hospitality, by today. Unfortunately,
 we have been unable to access this information electronically and we are
waiting to receive it, as a paper copy.
 
As  soon as I have received this information I will forward it onto you.
 
Please accept my sincere apologies and I will contact you again by Friday
27th May.
 
With Kind regards,
 
Lyn
 
 
Lyn Foster
Business Support Adviser
 
Office of the Children's Commissioner
Sanctuary Buildings
Great Smith Street
London SW1P 3BT
Direct Line: 020 7783 8203
Telephone: 0207 783 8330
 
Advice and Assistance free phone for children and young people receiving
social care services, in or leaving care, or living away from home: 0800
528 0731
 
Email:
[email address]
Web:
www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk
 
https://www.facebook.com/officeofthechil...
 
https://twitter.com/ChildrensComm
 
Please think of the environment before you print this email
P
 

 

References

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4. https://twitter.com/ChildrensComm