To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much his Department spent on taxi fares in each of the last five years. (309922)

Details of the expenditure on taxi fares for financial years 2005-06, 2006-07, 2007-08 and 2008-09 is set out in the following table:

The expenditure is based on staff travel claims and approved invoices received from taxi companies paid via the Department's accounts payable system. Expenditure on taxi travel in the financial years prior to 2005-06 was recorded under a general heading of “travel expenses” and is not separately identifiable for these years.

The Department for Children, Schools and Families was created on 28 June 2007 as a result of Machinery of Government change, and the expenditure recorded here, prior to this date, relates to that of its predecessor department, the Department for Education and Skills.