To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the cost of providing (a) accommodation, and (b) chauffeur-driven cars, for the Chief of the General Staff in the last 12-month period for which figures are available. [HL5182]

Accommodation for the Chief of the General Staff in 2008-09 was leased at a cost of £108,408 per annum with £10,485 being expended for the associated contracted cleaning services. For the last known period, a dedicated staff car was leased, under the provisions of the United Kingdom White Fleet contract, for the Chief of the General Staff at a cost £4,993 per annum. With this vehicle was assigned a dedicated qualified driver at an indicative annual salary of £34,662 in 2008-09.

To ask Her Majesty's Government on how many occasions and for what purposes the Chief of the General Staff travelled by helicopter in the United Kingdom in the last 12-month period for which figures are available. [HL5184]

Over the period 17 July 2008 to 16 July 2009 inclusive, the Chief of the General Staff undertook 40 separate helicopter flights within the United Kingdom over a combination of 20 journeys . All those journeys were for official purposes with seven being visits to units, four to attend/speak at conferences, four to attend meetings, three to attend/participate in official ceremonies, one a combination of conference and unit visit and the remaining one a combination of meeting and official representation. Additionally, on 5 and 6 June 2009, the Chief of the General Staff used a helicopter for the return journey to and from Normandy to attend the D-Day commemorations.