HC Deb 18 January 1993 vol 217 cc66-7W
Mr. Simon Hughes

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the current conditions on which civil servants in his Department are granted salary advances to enable the purchase of bicycles for home-to-office travel; if he will make a statement on the current conditions in each agency of his Department; what plans he has to change the conditions; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Kenneth Carlisle

Until recently the authority for Departments to make advances for these purposes was subject to justifying them on value for money or operational grounds.

Three agencies of my Department—the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, the Transport Research Laboratory and the Vehicle Certification Agency—have been prepared to consider requests. No applications have been made to date.

Advances have not been available to staff in the remaining agencies or elsewhere in the Department.

As a result of recent changes in the scope of the delegation my Department will be looking again at the case for making such advances.