HC Deb 08 October 1946 vol 427 cc25-7
51. Major Beamish

asked the Lord President of the Council by what authority and for what reason he took a 1946 Humber 27 h.p. Metropolitan Police motorcar and chauffeur for use during his holiday in Eire; what was the total cost of maintaining and servicing the motorcar and of transporting, accommodating and paying the chauffeur; by whom these costs were met; what road mileage this motorcar did from the date it left London until its return; and by whom the petrol was provided and how much.

52. Mr. Hogg

asked the Lord President of the Council why an official motorcar was exported to Eire to meet him when on holiday; and the approximate cost to the Treasury incurred in connection with his visit to Eire.

Mr. H. Morrison

In order that official papers could be sent to me while I was on holiday, it was necessary to arrange for a courier service between my hotel and Dublin and Rineanna. For this purpose, and in order to enable me to return to London immediately in the event of this becoming urgently necessary, I was advised that the only satisfactory arrangement would be for a car and driver to go to Eire. During its absence from London, the car did a total mileage of about 2,500 miles. Most of this mileage was accounted for by courier services, but, in addition, it of course included the journeys to and from the ports in Britain and in Eire and Northern Ireland. Five hundred and seven miles were on non-official journeys in respect of which I paid the usual mileage rate. The petrol consumption was approximately 180 gallons. The total net cost to public funds, which is estimated to be about £66, will be met from the Privy Council Office Vote. Apart from petrol obtained from United: Kingdom sources, the Government of Eire kindly authorised the supply of additional petrol for the car.

Mr. Hogg

Does the right hon. Gentleman realise the extreme undesirability of Ministers making this misuse of public vehicles? Is it not possible for them to obtain taxis in the ordinary way in the countries to which they feel it necessary to go for their own amusement, and cannot they pay for them themselves out of their salary of £100 a week?

Mr. Morrison

If I may say so, that supplementary question is a little bit cheap. In the first place, I quite agree that it would be wrong for there to be misuse of Ministerial cars. There was no misuse on this occasion, and if the only degree of responsibility of the hon. Gentleman is that he can make a suggestion that secret State documents can be carried by taxi cabs, he should think again.

Mrs. Jean Mann

May I ask my right hon. Friend whether or not there is an espionage service on Members of the Front Bench at home and abroad, by whom is it maintained and what is its approximate cost?

Mr. Morrison

Unfortunately, there is nobody in this House to answer for the Conservative Central Office.

Mr. W. Fletcher

Could not a despatch rider, such as, during the war, carried documents just as important as these, have been used just as effectively and much more cheaply?

Mr. Morrison

If I were an hon. Gentleman, sitting on that side of the House, I would not start inquiries about the transportation arrangements during the war.

Mr. Hogg

Owing to the unsatisfactory nature of the reply, I beg to give notice that I will raise this matter on the Motion for the Adjournment.

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