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Regional Development Agencies: Travel

Volume 472: debated on Wednesday 27 February 2008

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how much each regional development agency spent on (a) travel agency services, (b) travel within the UK and (c) overseas travel in each of the last five years. (182786)

The tables shows how much each RDA spent on travel agency services, travel within the UK and overseas travel in each of the last five years.

Travel Agency Services1

£000

RDAs

2002-03

2003-04

2004-05

2005-06

2006-07

AWM

2.5

2.5

2.5

2.5

2.5

EEDA2

EMDA3

LDA4

NWDA5

ONE6

0

0

0

0

SEEDA7

SWRDA8

0

0

0

0

0.5

YF

4

5

4

4

4

1 In some cases, agency costs are not separately identifiable from the ticket cost.

2 EEDA books the majority of travel services directly.

3 It is not possible to identify the amount charged for Travel Agency services, as costs are included in the cost of the ticket.

4 LDA adopted new recording systems in 2004-05. Figures before 2004-05 are not held centrally and can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

5 Travel costs and booking fees are not involved or identified separately within the accounting records.

6 Prior to 2004, travel was outsourced to an external supplier. It is not possible to identify any fees within the cost of tickets.

7 SEEDA does not use a Travel Agency services.

8 £500 in 2006-07 is a business direct annual fee for rail travel.

Travel within UK1

£000

RDAs

2002-03

2003-04

2004-05

2005-06

2006-07

AWM

147

182

193

144

128

EEDA

104

75

112

90

101

EMDA

30

43

59

68

95

LDA2

1

19

11

6

NWDA

140

174

190

154

208

ONE2

292

46

161

199

241

SEEDA

168

306

177

253.5

301

SWRDA

18

71

63

95

151

YF

77

127

116

149

207

1 Figures refer to travel booked through travel agents. In some cases, it is not possible to separate subsistence/hotel costs from the travel costs (e.g. rail and air travel).

2 Records for 2002-03 show that total annual spend (UK travel and overseas) was £292,000. This figure cannot be separated.

Overseas Travel 1

£000

RDAs

2002-03

2003-04

2004-05

2005-06

2006-07

AWM

37

48

39

60

71

EEDA

50

9

10

38

22

EMDA

72

121

63

59

76

LDA2

23

44

78

29

NWDA

15

28

49

28

25

ONE3

155

193

187

180

SEEDA

125

184.5

177.5

302

284

SWRDA4

17

32

13

17

37

YF

76

115

114

74

71

1 Figures refer to travel booked through travel agents. In some cases, it is not possible to separate subsistence/hotel costs from the travel costs (e.g. rail and air travel).

2 2002-03 figures are not held centrally and can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

3 Records for 2002-03 show that total annual spend (UK travel and overseas) was £292,000. This figure cannot be separated.

4 From 2003-04, includes subsistence costs due to changes in the recording procedures.