To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much was claimed in (a) travel and (b) other expenses by (i) Ministers and (ii) officials in his Department in each of the last five years. (309741)

All travel by ministers and civil servants is undertaken in accordance with the ‘Ministerial Code’ and the ‘Civil Service Management Code’ respectively, and other expenses are claimed in accordance with the principles set out in ‘Managing Public Money’.

For the financial years 2006-07 to 2008-09 the table sets out the travel and associated expenses claimed through travel and subsistence expense forms. The use of taxis is not analysed by Ministers and officials. Information relating to prior years can be obtained only at disproportionate cost. In addition to these costs, other travel and expense costs will have been incurred through centrally managed contracts, rather than individual expense claims.

Information relating to other expenses are allocated to individual policy areas and not centrally recorded against Ministers or officials. It is therefore not readily available and can be provided only at disproportionate cost.