To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether the Permanent Secretary of his Department has authorised expenditure on travel costs for the Parliamentary assistants to (a) the Minister for the West Midlands and (b) the Minister for London in accordance with the circumstances envisaged in the Cabinet Secretary's letter to Permanent Secretaries of 2 December 2008. (267156)

No travel costs have been incurred by the Cabinet Office for the Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister for the West Midlands. The Minister for London is not a Minister in the Cabinet Office.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what steps the Cabinet Secretary has taken to inform the Director of the Government Office in each region of the provisions of his letter to Permanent Secretaries of 2 December 2008 in respect of the circumstances in which a Department may pay the travel costs of a Parliamentary assistant to a Regional Minister; and if he will make a statement. (267161)

The Cabinet Secretary’s letter of 2 December 2008 to permanent secretaries was copied to regional directors of the Government offices.