HC Deb 18 February 1998 vol 306 cc715-6W
Mr. Swinney

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will give a regional breakdown of his Department's expenditure on(a) hospitality, (b) stationery and (c) travel in the last year for which figures are available. [30080]

Ms Jowell

The Department of Health does not collect information on expenditure in the above areas on a government designated regional basis. It is therefore not possible to provide data in the form requested without incurring disproportionate costs.

The figures for the whole of the Department and its for the year 1996–97 are as follows:

Hospitality Stationery Travel
Department 105,192 1,551,744 5,722,961
Agencies 23,589 1130,602 1794,516
Totals 128,781 1,682,346 6,517,477
1 Due to variations in the accounting systems used by the agencies these figures are based upon a small degree of estimation and apportionment.