Aviation: Royal Family

Mr. Hoban
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 26 March 2008, Official Report, column 1W, on Royal and Ministerial air travel, if she will place in the Library copies of the cost-benefit analyses undertaken on the procurement of (a) a short haul plane and (b) a long haul plane for Ministerial and Royal travel in the last nine months.

Jim Fitzpatrick
As the consideration of security for royal and ministerial air travel was integral to our analysis of costs and benefits, it would not be appropriate to publish this material. Similarly, as much of our cost data were derived from readily identifiable commercial sources, and were shared with us on the understanding that they would be protected, publication of this information would prejudice commercial interests.