Written question asked by Lord Hammond of Runnymede (Conservative) on Monday, 1 March 2010, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 3 March 2010. It was answered by Paul Goggins (Labour) on Wednesday, 24 March 2010 on behalf of the Northern Ireland Office.

Departmental Travel

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much (a) Ministers and (b) staff of each grade in (i) his Department and (ii) its agencies spent on first class travel in the last 12 months.

Answer: In the financial year 2008-09, the Department (including the Compensation Agency) spent £62,898 on first class travel by Ministers and £19,449 on first class travel by staff.Information relating to the grades of staff travelling first class is not recorded centrally and can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.All ministerial travel is undertaken in accordance with the Ministerial Code. All travel by civil servants in the Department and its agencies is undertaken in accordance with departmental policy.In 2008-09, the Youth Justice Agency spent £65 on first class travel by staff at Grade A; the Northern Ireland Prison Service spent £134 on first class travel by staff in the SCS, and £517 by staff at Grade B1. Forensic Science Northern Ireland did not spend any money on first class travel.These figures do not include the cost of first class travel paid for by individual members of staff and then reclaimed from the Department. This additional information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Secondary information