(2) what steps his Department is taking to reduce the (a) cost and (b) number of internal flights for his staff; and if he will make a statement;
(3) what the total cost was of these flights in 2005; and if he will make a statement.
The average cost of flights in each month in 2005 was as follows:
Average cost (£) January 215.84 February 222.83 March 203.66 April 241.70 May 242.61 June 231.66 July 207.54 August 227.53 September 218.33 October 239.41 November 224.88 December 122.87
DFID's domestic travel policies ensure that staff travel only when necessary, to minimise cost and environmental impact from carbon emissions. Only top management staff may buy business class tickets. However, DFID benefits from an arrangement used by a number of Government Departments whereby travellers on flexible economy tickets may be upgraded to business class at no extra cost. We are keen to reduce the number of internal flights and time spent travelling. We instruct staff to consider whether meetings are essential, and we have invested in modern communication systems, including video conference facilities, to reduce the need for travel.