HL Deb 11 May 1977 vol 383 cc358-9WA
The Baroness YOUNG

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will list the names and positions of those persons other than members of Her Majesty's Government who are entitled to be driven from their homes to their place of work in cars of the Official Car Service, and whether they will give the total of such persons similarly entitled in 1950, 1964 and 1970.

The LORD PRIVY SEAL (Lord Peart)

In addition to the 110 Ministers of the Crown there are 102 individuals who have discretion to use official cars for official purposes, including journeys to and from work, of whom 67 make such use regularly. The entitlement depends on the position held. The categories are as follows:

  • The Leader of the Opposition.
  • Comptroller and Auditor General.
  • Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration.
  • Civil servants of the rank of Permanent Secretary (at present 40 in number).
  • Other civil servants of very senior rank, chiefly in the Ministry of Defence (30).
  • Military staff of the Ministry of Defence of the rank of Lt. General and above (20).
  • Director General, National Economic Development Office.
  • Chairman, Metrication Board.
  • Chairman, Price Commission.
Sir Harold Wilson, MP and Mr. Edward Heath, MP have the same facility on a personal basis on security grounds.

The following use the Government Car Service in the same way on a repayment basis:

  • Chairman, Advisory Conciliation and Arbitration Service.
  • Chairman, British Aerospace.
  • Chairman, Organising Committee. British Shipbuilders.
  • Senior Crown Agent.
Precise totals for earlier years are not readily available. The Leader of the Opposition was first offered a GCS car for general use in 1954, Mr. Heath in 1975 and Sir Harold Wilson in 1976. Permanent Secretaries of major Departments have been entitled to use official cars for home to office travel since 1952 and all Permanent Secretaries and equivalents since 1973. Chairmen of certain boards and commissions, and the Director General of NEDO, have been successively authorised to use GCS cars in this way since 1964.