To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much (a) his Department and (b) its agencies spent on away days in the last 12 months; and what the (i) subject and (ii) location of each away day was. (306757)

This information is not held centrally and the information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

All public expenditure has to be incurred in accordance with the principles of Managing Public Money and the Treasury handbook on regularity and propriety. Subject to those principles business areas have discretion whether or not to hold away days having regard to the evaluation of alternative options and, value for money considerations.