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Written question asked by Mike Wood (Conservative) on Friday, 6 March 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 10 March 2026. It was answered by Simon Lightwood (Labour) on Monday, 16 March 2026 on behalf of the Department for Transport.

Government Departments: Barclays

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for government’s most important contracts, Data for July to September 2025, published on 25 December 2025, and the (a) Provision of Merchant Acquirer Services and (b) Provision of Payment Gateway Services contracts with BARCLAYS BANK PLC trading as Barclays Payments, for what reason requiring Barclays Bank to be a Net zero company by 2050 is a key performance indicator for these specific contracts; and why net zero is relevant to the provision of payment gateway services.

Answer

The provision of Merchant Acquirer Services and the provision of Payment Gateway Services contracts were tendered in 2017/18 and awarded in 2019. The procurement policy, introduced by the previous government, required suppliers on significant contracts to align with the UK’s 2050 Net Zero target. This applies even when the service is not carbon intensive, because the policy requires that the government’s supply chain must support climate commitments.

A Key Performance Indicator (KPI) linking the contract to Barclays’ Net Zero trajectory ensures the supplier’s strategic direction aligns with government environmental policy and consistency across all major suppliers, regardless of the nature of the service. Using KPIs like this demonstrates responsible sourcing; signals that the government expects sustainability leadership from major partners and helps standardise expectations across all major suppliers, making compliance measurable and reportable.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
118527
Session
2024-26
Transferred
Yes
Subjects
Contracts Barclays Government departments Standards Carbon emissions
Contains statistics
Yes
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk