Cars: Leader of the Opposition

Norman Baker
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what car has been made available to the Leader of the Opposition; how many hours a day a chauffeur is available to him; what the monthly cost of this provision was in each of the last 12 months; and how much of that cost was accounted for by (a) the running costs of the vehicle, (b) the costs of the chauffeur and (c) all other costs.

Jim Fitzpatrick
The Government Car and Despatch Agency (GCDA) provides a driver to the Leader of the Official Opposition to support him in carrying out his official duties. The costs associated with use for non-official duties are met by the Conservative Party. The hours worked by the driver are determined by the Leader of the Opposition’s day-to-day requirements. The current average monthly contracted cost for providing this service is £4,027 (excl. VAT).

The GCDA does not currently provide a car to the Leader of the Official Opposition. His car is provided [and paid for] by the Conservative Party. A contribution is provided by Government towards the cost of fuel.