§ Mr. BakerTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the mileage rates currently applicable to staff, indicating what changes have been made to encourage staff to switch from cars to public transport and other less polluting forms of travel. [70956]
§ Mr. Doug Henderson[holding answer 15 February 1999]The MOD reimburses motor mileage for official travel in private vehicles at two different levels. The higher (Standard) rate is restricted to journeys which would be impracticable by public transport, taking into account the overall cost to the Department. It reflects the full costs of travel by car. The lower (Public Transport) rate is set at a level which reflects the average cost of travel by public transport and is paid for all other official travel by car.
The rates applicable in the current tax year are as follows:
Standard Rates of Motor Mileage Allowance Pence per mile Car engine capacity Up to 1000cc 1001cc to 1500cc 1501cc to 2000cc 2001cc and over Up to 4,000 miles 28 35 45 63 Over 4,000 miles 17 20 25 36 Public Transport Rate of Motor Mileage Allowance
All cars: 25.9p per mile
MOD discourages the unnecessary use of private cars and staff are required to undertake official travel by the most cost effective means. However, the dispersed and sometimes remote locations of Defence establishments means that public transport does not always offer a suitable option.