To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the total cost was of overnight accommodation for (a) civil servants and (b) special advisers in each Northern Ireland Department, including the Northern Ireland Office, staying overnight in the (i) UK, (ii) the Republic of Ireland and (iii) other countries in each of the last three years. (69229)

The information requested is as follows:

(a) The cost of overnight accommodation for civil servants employed by Northern Ireland Departments, excluding the Northern Ireland Office, for the period 1 November 2004 to 31 March 2006 is set out as follows:

These figures relate only to accommodation booked through the NICS contracted booking agent and do not include any accommodation booked through other channels as to obtain this information would be at disproportionate cost. Costs of accommodation booked through the booking agent prior to 1 November 2004 are not available. Costs by Department are also not available.

The cost of overnight accommodation and subsistence for civil servants employed by the Northern Ireland Office for the period 1 April 2003 to 31 March 2006 is as follows:

It is not possible to separate the cost of overnight subsistence and hotel accommodation for NIO civil servants or to split the spend over UK, ROI and others except at disproportionate cost.

(b) The cost of overnight accommodation for special advisers for the period 1 April 2003 to 31 March 2006 is as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what discounts are available in relation to hotel accommodation used by (a) civil servants and (b) special advisers in each Northern Ireland Department including the Northern Ireland Office. (69231)

Northern Ireland Departments including the Northern Ireland Office use Hotel Booking Agents to book hotel accommodation and on average obtain a 40 per cent. discount.