§ Dr. TongeTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development (1) what percentage of each division's budget has been spent on flights in each year since 1999; [74900]
(2) what her Department's budget has been for flights, broken down by division, in each year since 1999. [74901]
§ Clare ShortInformation in the format requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Information on flight spend held centrally by my Department's contracted travel agent is as follows:
- 1999/2000: £7,189,382
- 2000/2001: £8,526,819
- 2001/2002: £8,748,097
These figures do not include travel costs incurred by overseas offices booked through an overseas travel agent.
§ Dr. TongeTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what advice is given to her Department's staff when booking flights with regard to(a) price and (b) budget. [74899]
§ Clare ShortIn accordance with my Department's policy, staff will book the most efficient and economical means of travel, taking into account the full range of costs involved, to meet business needs.
192WDFID's travel agent is contracted to provide a value for money service to staff including, where available, a choice of flights and costs. The travel agent also provides staff with advice on centrally negotiated government airfares.
All official travel is authorised at appropriate levels to check for compliance with policy and budget.