§ Mr. BakerTo ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will list by make, engine size and fuel consumption the official cars made available to those holding the post of Deputy Prime Minister since 1994. [22946]
§ Mr. KilfoyleResponsibility for this matter has been delegated under the terms of the Framework Document to the Government Car and Despatch Agency. I have asked its Chief Executive, Mr. Nick Matheson, to write to the hon. Member.
Letter from Nick Matheson to Mr. Norman Baker, dated January 1998:
The Parliamentary Secretary, Office of Public Service, has asked me to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking for a list by make, engine size, and fuel consumption, of official cars made available to those holding the post of Deputy Prime Minister since 1994. I am responding as the Chief Executive of the Government Car and Despatch Agency (GCDA) which is responsible for the operation of the Government Car Service (GCS).Since 1994 GCS has provided one car, a Jaguar Sovereign, to the Right Honourable John Prescott MP. The engine size of the car is 4.0 litres, and has an official combined fuel consumption figure of 26.8 miles per gallon.Under the last administration, GCS did not provide the Deputy Prime Minister, the Right Honourable Michael Heseltine MP, with a car or driver. However, he used a car, together with driver, on cost terms to the public service fully equivalent to the usual ministerial transport arrangements provided by GCS, which were at the time of the agreement £43,628 per annum excluding VAT.The full terms of that arrangement were set out in a letter dated 16 March 1995, agreed when Mr. Heseltine was President of the Board of Trade, a copy of which was placed in the Library of the House.