To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much was spent by his Department on (a) first class and (b) business class flights in the last 12 months. (153064)

£781,170 was spent on business class travel, and a further £60,908 was spent on foreign flights in 2006-07 (this is the last 12 months for which audited figures are available). It is not possible to disaggregate the amount spent on flights to foreign destination by class except at disproportionate cost.

In January of this year the Department introduced arrangements for the greater use of economy class flights.