Spending
Every credit spent by the Velocity Interoperability Network is spent against a line of the approved budget and paid from the common fund held by the Department. This page explains how expenditure is authorised, publishes the first statement of expenditure, and sets out the allocation to each department and office for the remainder of 2026.
The Department publishes a statement of expenditure within thirty days of the end of each quarter. The statement shows, for each budget line, the amount authorised, the amount committed, the amount paid and the amount remaining, together with a register of payments of 25,000 credits or more, the fee income received by each department and the balance of the common fund. The first regular statement, covering the quarter ending 30 September 2026, will be published by 30 October 2026.
The position at establishment. Before the departments were established, expenditure was incurred under the interim arrangements to prepare them. That expenditure, recorded between 10 August and 5 September 2026, has been charged to the transitional budget so that the accounts of the Network are continuous from the first day of the transition. The figures below record the position on 6 September 2026.
- 1.94m
- Credits recorded against the transitional budget during the transition, 10 August to 5 September 2026
- 13.4%
- Share of the transitional budget recorded at establishment on 6 September 2026
- 26
- Authorising officers appointed across the twenty-five departments and the common offices
- 8
- Payments of 25,000 credits or more listed individually in the register
| Budget line | Authorised | Recorded | Remaining |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shared services | 5,160,000 | 830,000 | 4,330,000 |
| Departments and offices | 6,030,000 | 760,000 | 5,270,000 |
| Standards | 1,380,000 | 210,000 | 1,170,000 |
| Audit and oversight | 610,000 | 140,000 | 470,000 |
| Reserve fund | 1,310,000 | 0 | 1,310,000 |
| Total | 14,490,000 | 1,940,000 | 12,550,000 |
Of the 1,940,000 credits recorded, 1,250,000 credits had been paid by 5 September 2026 and 690,000 credits remained owing to suppliers or accrued for services received; both amounts appear in the opening statement of financial position on the Accounts page. No drawing has been made on the reserve fund, and none is expected during the transitional period.
Allocation to departments and offices. The budget line for departments and offices, 6,030,000 credits for the period to 31 December 2026, is allocated between the twenty-five departments established on 6 September and the common offices of the Network. Each allocation is the ceiling on what that department may commit; it is not a target, and any unspent balance returns to the common fund at the end of the year.
| Department or office | Allocation |
|---|---|
| Ministry | 380,000 |
| Defence Department | 520,000 |
| Health Department | 480,000 |
| Interior Department | 380,000 |
| Police Department | 360,000 |
| Justice Department | 330,000 |
| Immigration Department | 310,000 |
| Emergency Management Department | 270,000 |
| Education Department | 260,000 |
| Transport Department | 250,000 |
| Treasury Department | 230,000 |
| Corrections Department | 220,000 |
| Communications Department | 210,000 |
| Environment Department | 200,000 |
| External Affairs Department | 190,000 |
| Energy Department | 170,000 |
| Agriculture Department | 160,000 |
| Housing Department | 150,000 |
| Labour Department | 150,000 |
| Children and Families Department | 140,000 |
| Commerce Department | 130,000 |
| Trade Department | 120,000 |
| Science Department | 110,000 |
| Climate Department | 100,000 |
| Small Business Department | 90,000 |
| Common offices of the Network | 120,000 |
| Total | 6,030,000 |
The allocations reflect the estimates each department submitted under the interim arrangements and the staff, premises and equipment transferred to it by member organisations. The Defence and Health Departments carry the largest allocations because they took over standing services at the principal sites of the Network on establishment; the Police and Interior Departments follow for the same reason. The common offices line funds the Office of the Spokesperson and the secretariat that serves all departments. The offices, authorities, councils and services of the Network that serve every member rather than a single department are not funded from this line; their running costs fall on the shared services line, as described on the Budget page.
How a payment is authorised. The steps below apply to every payment from the common fund, whichever department incurs the expenditure.
Step 1: A commitment is raised
The department that needs goods or services raises a commitment against its allocation, stating the budget line, the amount and the purpose. A commitment may not be raised where the remaining allocation on that line is insufficient.
Step 2: The commitment is checked
The Department checks the commitment against the approved budget and the allocation remaining, and records it in the ledger. Commitments of 100,000 credits or more are also checked against the estimate on which the allocation was based.
Step 3: Receipt is certified
When the goods or services have been received, an officer of the department other than the one who raised the commitment certifies that they were received as ordered.
Step 4: The invoice is approved
The authorising officer of the department approves the invoice for payment. Each department and the common offices have one authorising officer, whose appointment is notified to the Department in writing.
Step 5: Payment is made
The Department pays the approved invoice from the common fund within thirty days of receipt, and records the payment against the commitment.
Step 6: The payment is reported
Every payment appears in the ledger and in the next quarterly statement of expenditure. Payments of 25,000 credits or more are listed individually in the register published with the statement.
Register of larger payments. The payments of 25,000 credits or more recorded during the transition period are listed below. Together they account for 1,399,000 credits of the 1,940,000 credits recorded; the balance consists of smaller payments for supplies, travel and services, which are reported in total by line.
| Purpose | Budget line | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Hosting and monitoring of the shared registry and directory services, August and September | Shared services | 386,000 |
| Premises for the departments during the transition period | Departments and offices | 232,000 |
| Transfer and digitisation of member records for the departments | Departments and offices | 214,000 |
| Fit-out of the certification laboratory | Standards | 168,000 |
| Identity and signing-in service for staff of the departments | Shared services | 154,000 |
| Equipment for the site clinics of the Health Department | Departments and offices | 118,000 |
| Interim audit engagement for the opening statement of financial position | Audit and oversight | 96,000 |
| Publication of standards and certification schedules | Standards | 31,000 |
The register does not name suppliers. A member organisation may ask the Department for the name of the supplier and the terms of any payment in the register, and the information is provided within ten working days unless the supplier has been given an assurance of confidentiality, in which case the reason is stated.
Departments preparing their estimates for 2027 should read the guidance on the Estimates page. The dates on which statements are published are set out on The Financial Year page. Questions about any figure on this page may be sent to contact@treasury.gov.vin.