§ Mr. BakerTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the mileage rates currently applicable to staff, indicating what changes have been made to encourage staff to switch from cars to public transport and other less polluting forms of travel. [67492]
§ Mr. Byers[holding answer 26 January 1999]: Mileage rates paid to staff using their own cars for official business are as follows:
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Engine Size Up to 4000 miles (standard rate) (p) over 4000 miles (lower standard rate) (p) Up to 1500cc 35 20 1501–2000cc 45 25 over 2000cc 48 34 The rates for the two smaller categories of engine are Inland Revenue calculated Fixed Profit Car Scheme (FPCS) rates. However, for the over 2000cc category, DTI pays significantly lower rates than those published by the Inland Revenue. The DTI rates are 48p and 34p per mile compared to the FPCS rates of 63p and 36p per mile respectively. This policy was introduced to discourage use of large engined cars.
Other encouragements to use public transport, or less polluting forms of transport than cars are:
a travel and subsistence policy that promotes the use of public transport over car useprovision of interest free loans for season ticket and bicycle purchaseprovision of parking facilities for cycles in all DTI buildings and shower facilities in some;DTI is currently reviewing its travel policy and will shortly be producing a green transport plan.