HC Deb 03 March 2004 vol 418 c932W
Gregory Barker

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the airline travel policy for the directors of(a) CDC and (b) Actis is in respect of (i) European and (ii) inter-continental flights. [157826]

Hilary Benn

The existing CDC airline travel policy will apply to both CDC and Actis and covers all staff, including directors.

Economy class travel will be used for all flights of less than six hours duration, while business class travel is allowed for flights of over six hours duration or for overnight flights. First class travel may only be used in special circumstances such as intra-continental travel where business class is not available and is subject to prior approval.

Gregory Barker

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what estimate he has made of the total cost of the reorganisation of CDC and Actis. [157828]

Hilary Benn

Our estimate of total costs of the reorganisation of CDC is £11.5 million. This is made up as follows:

£ million
DFID Advisory costs 3.5
CDC Advisory and staff costs 5.6
CDC Implementation costs 2.4

Both CDC and DFID have statutory duties and duties of due diligence to discharge. These have to be carried out fully and thoroughly and need properly qualified professional expertise. It was also important to find the right corporate model and to achieve the best value for money. The costs are commensurate with the degree of care and attention needed in the restructuring of a £1.1 billion enterprise.

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