OXFORD City Council has defended putting £350,000 on plastic over the past three years, saying it sped up payments to its contractors.

The council has revealed all its payments over £500 made using credit and purchase cards since 2009, totalling £351,249.

That ranked it 23rd of the 186 councils to reveal their credit card spending.

But yesterday the council defended the practice, saying it had started using cards to speed up payments to companies which had carried out work for it.

Many of the payments were on furniture, new carpets, and white goods for some of its 7,800 council houses, as well as emergency accommodation, IT fees and advertising.

Labour council leader Bob Price said: “The reality is that purchase cards have been used for many years by employers in both the private and public sector.

“It’s recommended by Government simply because it is a cheap and effective means by which suppliers get paid immediately.”

The council said its purchase cards were similar to credit cards, but the outstanding balance is paid in full each month.

Mr Price said the costs of using purchase costs were cheaper than other forms of payments such as paper invoices. The cards did not incur interest.

Among the bills put on plastic was a £1,402.14 bill for tourism manager Jo Butler’s stay at the Intercontinental Hotel in Times Square, New York in September 2010. The council said the cost had been reimbursed by the British Heritage Cities consortium.

Spokesman Louisa Dean said: “Our tourism manager was asked to attend the Britain’s Market Place conference and workshop on behalf of several British heritage cities of which Oxford is part of the consortium.”

Another £1,202.80 bill, described as a “repair to motor home that fell off ramp” was picked up by taxpayers after a privately-owned vehicle having its MOT carried out at the City Works garage in Cowley Marsh was damaged.

Oxfordshire County Council, South Oxfordshire District Council and West Oxfordshire District Council have yet to reveal their credit card spending.

Cherwell District Council’s card bills of more than £500 totalled £85,990 over the same period, while Vale of White Horse District Council’s total was £6,517. Nationally, councils used cards for £100m of spending over the past three years, including £2m on hotel bills, £2.6m on hospitality, and £500,000 on gifts.

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