To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much his Department's agencies spent on staff travel (a) within the UK and (b) abroad in each year since 1997. (325448)

As each of the Northern Ireland Office’s agencies maintain their own finance system, there are differences in the information that can be provided.

The Northern Ireland Prison Service is able to provide a breakdown of UK and international travel expenditure from 2003-04. To split the expenditure in the same way prior to this would involve a manual investigation of all claims which would incur disproportionate costs.

Compensation Agency expenditure on travel is grouped under the same heading as subsistence. The above figures therefore include both travel and subsistence. To provide separate costs and give details of whether the staff travel was within or outside the UK can be done only at disproportionate cost.

The Youth Justice Agency was launched on 1 April 2003.

FSNI’s current finance system has only been in operation since 2006-07 and groups expenditure on travel under the same heading as subsistence so the above figures include both travel and subsistence. Figures before 2006-07 could be provided only at disproportionate cost as this would involve a manual investigation of claim forms.