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Government Car Service

Volume 930: debated on Wednesday 20 April 1977

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asked the Minister for the Civil Service when the information asked for by the hon. Member for Newham, North-West on 5th April about the number of civil servants with salaries over £5,000 per annum who have the use

DepartmentNon-IndustrialsIndustrialsTotal
Cabinet Office660660
MAFF*14,6401,15815,798
HM Treasury1,1431,143
HM Customs29,35429,354
Inland Revenue82,4902782,517
Department for National Savings12,4019412,495
Department of Education and Science†3,9261034,029
Department of Employment‡49,9821,95551,937
Department of Energy1,335121,347
Department of the Environment§32,35425,55657,910
Ordnance Survey3,8733234,196
Foreign and Commonwealth Office9,82124010,061
Ministry of Overseas Development2,290582,348

of Government cars to take them to and from the railway stations and their offices was supplied; what was the reason for the delay; and whether he will publish these details in the Official Report.

The information was supplied on 19th April. The 14 days taken to produce the information included the Easter holiday and an additional weekend. Eight working days were taken in consulting Departments and preparing the reply. Eleven civil servants with salaries over £5,000 a year—all Permanent Secretaries or their near equivalents in the Science Group—use Government pool cars to take them to and from Waterloo, London Bridge and Victoria Stations and offices in Whitehall, Victoria Street, Marsham Street, Mill-bank, Strand, St. James's Square and Victoria Embankment. Permanent Secretaries of major Government Departments were given discretion to use cars in this way in 1952, and the facility was extended to all Permanent Secretaries in 1973. The provisions of the Finance Act 1976 apply to this usage as to any member of the public. Questions about the tax treatment of individuals are a matter for my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer.