§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will make it his policy that rail journeys undertaken by staff in his Department should ordinarily be on standard class tickets. [40446]
§ Dr. WhiteheadRail travel is ordinarily undertaken on standard class tickets. However staff in my Department at Band 5 (Senior Executive Officer) and above may choose 563W to travel first class where there is a business need and the extra expense is justified, for example, better to facilitate working during the journey.
With the exception of a few staff at Band 4 (Higher Executive Officer) who may choose to travel first class, staff below Band 5 may not choose to travel first class except where:
- (a) they are travelling with someone who is travelling first class;
- (b) the facilities provided in standard class do not meet their needs, for example if they are pregnant or suffer from a disability;
- (c) there are no seats available in standard class, or in circumstances when it is necessary to buy a meal on the train and this is not possible when travelling in standard class;
- (d) there is a need to travel overnight and use a sleeping berth.