§ Mr. FlightTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the cost was to her Department for956W (a) ministerial cars and drivers, (b) taxis, (c) train travel, (d) the use of helicopters, (e) airline tickets and (f) chartered aeroplanes in each year since 1997. [123085]
§ Mr. CabornWith regard to the cost of ministerial cars and drivers and the cost of planes chartered for ministerial travel, the Chief Executive of the Government Car and Despatch Agency (Mr. Nick Matheson) wrote to the hon. Member with the information yesterday, 17 September 2003. Copies of the letter have been placed in the Libraries of the House. The following table shows Departmental expenditure on travel by(a) taxis and (b) train and air combined. An analysis of expenditure on travel by train and various modes of air travel is not recorded on the Department's accounting system and can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
All official travel is undertaken in accordance with the rules contained in the Department's staff handbook and all ministerial travel is undertaken fully in accordance with the rules set out in the Ministerial Code and Travel by Ministers, copies of which are available in the Libraries of the House.
£ Financial year Taxis Rail and Air travel 2002–031 16,109.08 518,549.28 2001–02 20,811.56 433,910.61 2000–01 26,414.81 456,909.51 1999–2000 21,685.66 421,189.86 1998–99 15,890.53 317,802.36 1997–98 12,967.23 289,035.97 1 Costs shown in 2002–03 are provisional pending finalisation of the Department's annual accounts.