§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the costs was of travel by train by staff in her Department in 2002. [106335]
§ Alun MichaelThe information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost. It is this Department"s policy that official travel should be undertaken only if it is essential to the Department"s business and cannot reasonably be met in any other way (e.g. correspondence, e-mail, telephone or video conference). Where it is considered that official travel is justified then staff are expected to take account of business and financial needs as well as environmental considerations.