To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much (a) her Department and (b) each of its agencies spent on hotel and other similar privately provided accommodation (i) in the UK and (ii) abroad in 2008-09. (269690)

The requested information is set out in the table. It covers the hotel accommodation of around 25,300 staff.

Criminal Records Bureau cannot analyse UK or Overseas expenditure, without incurring disproportionate cost.

The Department expects all official travel, and the associated accommodation, to be undertaken by the most efficient and economic means available, taking into account the cost of travel and subsistence, savings in official time, management benefit, and the needs of staff with disabilities. This is in accordance with the Civil Service Management Code and the Ministerial Code.