To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what make and model of car (a) he and (b) each Minister in his Department selected as their official ministerial car; and what criteria were used when making the decision in each case. (141987)

The Government Car and Despatch Agency (GCDA) is responsible for providing ministerial cars in line with the Ministerial Code and the Prime Minister’s guidance Travel by Ministers’.

GCDA advises the Prime Minister on the suitability of cars for inclusion in his guidance, taking into account a number of criteria when assessing suitable cars including their environmental impact, running and maintenance costs and overall suitability as a ministerial car.

Ministers in the Department for International Development are provided with two Toyota Prius cars.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what visits he has made involving a mix of political and official engagements where Government car service vehicles were used in 2007; and whether the Government were reimbursed a proportion of the cost in each case. (142660)

All travel is undertaken in accordance with ‘Travel by Ministers’ and the ‘Ministerial Code’, copies of which are available in the House Library.