HC Deb 14 June 2004 vol 422 cc727-8W
David Davis

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will list the travel costs incurred by(a) his Department and its predecessors and (b) each Minister within his Department, for each of the last 10 years. [175651]

Maria Eagle

In respect of overseas travel by Ministers, since 1999 the Government have published an annual list of all visits overseas undertaken by Cabinet Ministers costing £500 or more during each financial year. The Government have also published on an annual basis the cost of all Ministers' visits overseas. Copies of the lists are available in the Libraries of the House. These report information reaching back to 1995–96. Information for earlier years could be obtained only at disproportionate cost and in some cases will no longer be held. Information for 2003–04 will be published in due course.

Departmental travel costs for the Department and the former Department of Social Security for the last 10 years is not available, however we do have information relating to the last seven years and I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Havant (Mr. Willetts) on 24 May 2004, Official Report, Volume 421, column 1470W.

Information relating to individual ministers for this period is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. All ministerial travel is undertaken 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.

David Davis

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many journeys were made by helicopter by each Minister in his Department and its predecessors in each of the last 10 years; and what the journey length was in each case. [175731]

Maria Eagle

In respect of overseas travel by Ministers, since 1999 the Government have published an annual list of all visits overseas undertaken by Cabinet Ministers costing £500 or more during each financial year. The Government have also published on an annual basis the cost of all Ministers' visits overseas. Copies of the lists are available in the Libraries of the House. These report information reaching back to 1995–96. Information for earlier years could be obtained only at disproportionate cost and in some cases will no longer be held. Information for 2003–04 will be published in due course.

Information relating to the use of helicopters by Ministers of this Department, and it's predecessor the Department of Social Security, is not available for the last 10 years, however there has been no use of helicopters, at departmental expense, since 1997.

All ministerial travel is undertaken 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.