Mr. Alan WilliamsTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the cost of hiring private cars in 1992–93; and for what purposes they were hired.
§ Mr. Baldry[holding answer 24 January 1994]: The total cost to the Department, including Property Holdings and the Property Services Agency, of vehicle hire in 1992–93 was some £1.16 million. This figure includes some expenditure on the Government car service.
The major use of private cars is for site inspections or visits by staff. Private vehicles are also used for regional visits.
Vehicles are also hired on an ad hoc basis for travelling to conferences or meetings, for collecting equipment from suppliers and for journeys connected with the maintenance and installation of security systems.