§ Norman BakerTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the amount spent by(a) her Department, (b) its agencies and (c) its non-departmental public bodies on hotel accommodation (i) in the UK and (ii) abroad for (A) Ministers, (B) staff and (C) others; and if he will list the average cost per hotel room, in each year since 1997. [117567]
§ Alun MichaelFor the Department's civil servants, the detailed information requested is not held centrally, and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. However, the total currently budgeted by the Department for this year for travel and subsistence is £16.7 million.
All travel by civil servants is conducted in accordance with the requirements of the Civil Service Management Code.
For Ministers, the Government publish an annual report of Ministerial travel overseas. The total cost of ministerial travel provided in the annual report includes the cost of accommodation. The information sought in respect of accommodation within the UK is not held centrally. All travel is conducted in line with the requirements of the Ministerial Code.