HC Deb 14 September 2004 vol 424 cc1558-9W
Mr. Paul Marsden

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will list for each year since 1997 the number of miles flown by each Minister in her Department on official departmental business. [181863]

Mr. Caborn

Records on this issue are not held centrally and to gather figures would be at disproportionate cost to the Department.

However, 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 2003–04 is currently being assembled and will be published shortly. All ministerial and civil service travel is undertaken in accordance with the rules set out in the Ministerial Code, Travel by Ministers, and Civil Service Management Code, copies of which are available in the Libraries of the House.