Departmental Rail Travel

Mr. Hurd
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what guidance his Department issues on whether members of staff may claim for travel in first class carriages on trains if there are no seats in standard class.

Ann McKechin
Office guidance on rail travel requires staff to book tickets through a contracted travel agent. This is in order to ensure that the best value for money is achieved through taking full advantage of advance bookings and discounts for fixed time departures. Staff, who usually travel in standard class, would be permitted to upgrade to first class if no standard seats were available, at their manager's discretion. It would be for individual line managers to assess the relative cost of staff travelling first class against the importance and nature of the journey in relation to the Office's business.

All travel is conducted in accordance with the requirements of the Civil Service Management Code.