HC Deb 18 May 1998 vol 312 c290W
Mr. Forth

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (1) if he will list the type or specification of vehicles allocated to(a) Secretaries of State, (b) Ministers of State and (c) Under-Secretaries of State for their official duties; and if he will list any exceptions; [27112]

(2) pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington (Mr. Brake), 16 February 1998, Official Report, column 486, if he will list the Ministers who have the use of an official car in a category other than that to which they would normally be entitled. [31663]

Mr. Kilfoyle

For the models of cars from which Ministers can choose and those which are currently used by Ministers, I refer the right hon. Member to my answer to the hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington (Mr. Brake), 16 February 1998,Official Report, column 486. I understand that the only Ministers who currently have the use of cars in a different category are the Secretary of State for Home Affairs, the Minister without Portfolio, the Minister for the Regions, Regeneration and Planning, the Minister for the Armed Forces, the Minister for Defence Procurement and the Under-Secretary of State for Defence. These exceptions are either on the grounds of security or where the Ministers concerned have the use of cars provided for Ministers in the previous Administration, and to replace them would not be an efficient use of public resources.