To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how much his Department has spent on hiring non-departmental premises for (a) hospitality and entertainment and (b) training events in the last 12 months. (279645)

In the most recent completed financial year, 2008-09, the Department for Transport's agencies spent £12,700 on hiring non-departmental premises in respect of hospitality and entertainment and £369,468 in respect of training events.

The accounting systems of the core Department do not record such costs separately from other related expenditure, so the information sought cannot be provided without incurring disproportionate cost.