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Departmental Travel

Volume 498: debated on Tuesday 27 October 2009

To ask the Solicitor-General how much the Law Officers’ Departments spent on (a) car hire, (b) train travel, (c) air travel, (d) hotels and (e) restaurant meals for (i) Ministers and (ii) staff in the Law Officers’ Departments in each of the last five years. (289968)

Treasury Solicitors (including AGO and HMCPSI) has spent the following on travel and subsistence in each of the last five years

Year ending 31 March

Treasury Solicitor’s (£)

AGO (£)

HMCPSI (£)

Total (£000)

2005

419,841

77,068

144,746

641,655

2006

486,821

112,103

141,995

740,919

2007

416,544

143,943

166,796

727,283

2008

525,616

84,126

137,003

746,744

2009

362,159

66,825

111,311

540,295

TSol spend includes case related Travel and Subsistence which is recharged to clients on a cost recovery basis.

It is not possible to provide an analysis of this expenditure for each of the categories without the disproportionate cost threshold.

Revenue and Customs Prosecution Office (RCPO)

£

2005-06

2006-07

2007-08

2008-09

2009-101

Air fares

32,539

73,160

41,058

17,400

Hotels

3,359

52,460

86,312

69,607

24,667

Rail tickets

223,100

109,418

167,860

194,930

65,352

Vehicle hire

4,075

4,268

2,713

950

667

Total

230,534

198,684

330,045

306,545

108,086

1 2009-10 figures represent April 2009-September 2009.

RCPO does not identify separately expenditure on restaurant meals.

Serious Fraud Office

£

Financial year

(a) Car hire

(b) Train travel

(c) Air travel

(d) Hotels

(e) Restaurant meals

2005-06

37,969

101,404

216,061

142,225

4,064

2006-07

48,053

93,845

167,842

318,761

6,154

2007-08

35,905

80,247

308,282

202,592

6,372

2008-09

32,781

139,947

338,993

243,973

8,650

1 April 2009-30 September 20091

8,562

56,464

63,157

93,601

3,863

1 The last date for which figures are available.

Information is not available in comparable form for 2004-05. The figures for restaurant meals also cover working lunches and refreshments and are thus overstated: a separate breakdown is not readily available.

The Government publish, on an annual basis, the total costs of all ministerial overseas travel costing in excess of £500. The 2008-09 list was published on 16 July and can be viewed at:

http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/propriety_and_ethics/ministers/travel_gifts.aspx.