HC Deb 10 June 1959 vol 606 cc979-80
16. Mr. G. M. Thomson

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation why the Dundee Union of Boys' Clubs has been charged £7 19s. 6d. for the expenses of the attendance of one of his officials at a fund-raising event for charity at Errol Aerodrome on 17th August, 1958, when on a previous occasion £1 17s. 9d. was charged.

Mr. Hay

On the earlier occasion our representative, who was stationed at Dyce, used his own private car for the journey but generously restricted his mileage claim to a rate of only 2d. a mile. On 17th August, 1958, official transport, costing substantially more per mile, had to be used and the charge made was that necessary to defray the expenses falling on public funds on that occasion, namely the regulation mileage rate for the distance involved together with the normal subsistence allowance.

Mr. Thomson

Is the Joint Parliamentary Secetary aware that the original charge was more than twice the present charge and that this was reduced only after my representations? Is he aware that the present unsatisfactory reduction is a charge for a little local journey that would have paid for a return fare for this official from Dundee to London.

Mr. Hay

No, Sir. I suggest that the hon. Gentleman is quite wrong. The position is that we calculated the original charge on a mileage rate which was subsequently found to be not the one appropriate to this particular journey. As a result, the figure was reduced. The hon. Gentleman knows that this was not a little local journey. I understand that Errol is about half-way between Turn-house and Dyce aerodromes and some 90 miles by road from Dyce. This was not a journey that could be done as simply as the hon. Gentleman suggests.

Mr. Thomson

On a point of order. In view of the unsatisfactory nature of the reply, I give notice that I will raise the matter on the Adjournment.