Written question asked by Mark Prisk (Conservative) on Thursday, 9 October 2008, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 13 October 2008. It was answered by Jonathan Shaw (Labour) on Wednesday, 19 November 2008 on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions.

Taxis

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much was claimed in expenses for taxi travel by officials from (a) his Department and (b) its Executive agencies in (i) 2006-07, (ii) 2005-06, (iii) 2004-05, (iv) 2003-04 and (v) 2002-03; and if he will make a statement.

Answer

The information requested on taxi travel expenditure is available only from 2005-06 and is recorded at departmental level (which includes the Department’s Executive agencies) only. Details of the separate payments made by the Department’s agencies could be provided only at disproportionate cost.The Department’s expenditure on taxis in the years for which information is available is as follows:

	£ million
2005-06	1.89
2006-07	2.45
2007-08	2.02

This amount of expenditure should be viewed in the context of the size of the DWP work force of over 100,000 employees and the nature of its business operations that cover an office network of over 1,000 locations across Great Britain.The Department has clear policies in place which not only limit the circumstances under which officials can justify the use of taxis but also challenges the need to travel and strongly advocates the use of video and teleconferences wherever these facilities are practical alternatives.

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: 483 c571-2W; 227047
Session: 2007-08
Subjects: Department for Work and Pensions Taxis
Link: View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk

Taxis

Secondary information

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