HL Deb 20 November 2001 vol 628 cc132-3WA
Lord Donoughue

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the Written Answer by Lord Whitty on 31 October (WA 166–67):

  1. (a) whether the annual charge by the Government Car Service for providing six cars to the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, excluding drivers' costs, was £130,000 in the year quoted;
  2. (b) how the overheads charge of £80,300 was broken down and what were the specific costs within it; and
  3. (c) what charges related to the remaining charge of £49,700 with their specific cost including depreciation. [HL1350)

Lord Whitty

(a) We can confirm the estimated annual charge for 2001–02, excluding drivers' costs, is £130,000;

(b) The charge of £80,300 represents a proportionate recovery of the Government Car and Despatch Agency's infrastructure costs. These include the agency's direct operational business costs (£22,200), strategic management and central support costs (£29,700), cost of the agency's premises (£21,200), non-vehicle depreciation costs (£4,800) and other notional costs (£2,400). The agency calculates the recovery of its infrastructure costs based on all costs apportioned over its entire customer base.

(c) The remaining £49,700 is made up of vehicle depreciation charges (£18,500), fuel costs (£17,900) and other vehicle running costs, including the provision of relief vehicles and breakdown cover (£13,300).

Lord Donoughue

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the Written Answer by Lord Whitty on 31 October (WA 166–67), what was the annual cost of garage servicing in the last year for which figures are available; and how many services were undertaken in that year. [HL1351]

Lord Whitty

During the financial year 2000–01 the six Government Car Service (GCS) vehicles now based at DEFRA were serviced routinely 13 times at a total cost of £1,943. Servicing was carried out by GCS's own workshop.

Lord Donoughue

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the Written Answer by Lord Whitty on 31 October (WA 166–67), what is the total cumulative annual overhead charge by the Government Car Service to all government departments which it serves; and how many cars this covers (treating any replacement car, together with the car which it replaces, as one car). [HL1352]

Lord Whitty

For 2001–02 it is estimated that the Government Car Service will charge a total of £1.2 million for its infrastructure costs. This represents 97 long-term allocations of cars and drivers to Ministers and senior officials.