HC Deb 29 November 1999 vol 340 cc5-7W
Dr. Lynne Jones

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what motor mileage allowance rates his Department offers to(a) ministers and (b) civil servants using their own vehicles for official business; and what has been the cost of each in each of the last five years. [98699]

Mr. Straw

Home Office Ministers, when travelling on official business, may use a private car instead of an official car, and claim mileage allowances in the same circumstances and on the same terms as Home Office civil servants. However, all five Ministers use the Government Car Service. The vehicles available to me, while purchased by my Department, are operated by the Metropolitan Police.

The Motor Mileage Allowance Rates offered to Ministers and civil servants using their own vehicles for official business are as follows:

Home Office (excluding Prison Service)

Motor Vehicle Rates

Public Transport Rate 23.8p per mile

Standard Rate Mileage

Engine capacity up to 1500cc 35.7p for first 5,000 miles 19p for over 5,000 miles

Engine capacity 1501–2000cc 43p for first 5,000 miles 23p for over 5,000 miles

Engine capacity over 2000cc 46p for first 5,000 miles 31p for over 5,000 miles

Motor Cycle Rates

Public Transport Rate

Engine capacity up to 125cc 12.9p per mile

Engine capacity over 125cc 23.8p per mile

Standard Rate Mileage

Engine capacity up to 125cc 16.2p for first 4,000miles 6.2p for over 4,000 miles

Engine capacity over 125cc 26p for first 4,000 miles 9p for over 4.000 miles

Prison Service

Motor Vehicle Rates Public Transport Rate 24.9p per mile

Standard Rate Mileage

Engine capacity up to 1000cc 28p for first 4,000 miles 17p for over 4,000 miles

Engine capacity 1001–1500cc 35p for first 4,000 miles 20p for over 4,000 miles

Engine capacity 1501–2000cc 45p for first 4,000 miles 25p for over 4,000 miles

Engine capacity over 2000cc 63p for first 4,000 miles 36p for over 4,000 miles

Motor Cycle Rates

Public Transport Rate

Engine capacity up to 125cc 13.4p per mile

Engine capacity over 125cc 24.9 per mile

Standard Rate Mileage

Engine capacity up to 125cc 17.5p for first 4,000 miles 6.5p for over 4,000 miles

Engine capacity over 125cc 27.2p for first 4,000 miles 9.7p for over 4,000 miles

Expenditure

The cost of motor mileage allowances for Home Office civil servants in each of the last three years has been as follows:

Year £
1996–97 1,116,202
1997–98 1,039,917
1998–99 930,237

Unfortunately, data are not available for the earlier two years: 1994–95 and 1995–96. Also these figures exclude expenditure in the United Kingdom Passport Agency and the Prison Service because these data could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.