§ Mr. WillettsTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much his Department and its predecessor Department spent on(a) mobile phone costs, (b) hospitality and (c) taxi costs in (i) 1996–97 and (ii) the latest year for which figures are available. [185530]
§ Maria EagleThe Department for Work and Pensions was formed in June 2001 from the Department of Social Security (DSS), Employment Service (ES), and parts of the Department for Education and Employment (DfEE). The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and Health and Safety Laboratory (HSL) were added in 2002–03.
Information is not available in the format requested. Expenditure on taxis is not collected centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Such information as is available on: (a) mobile phones; and (b) hospitality is set out in the following table:
£million (a) Mobile phones 1996–971 1.258 2003–04 (DWP) 3.769 (b) Hospitality 1996–972 0.147 2003–04 (DWP) 0.123 1Figures available for former DSS only. 2All DWP components.