Government Spend £144,698 on London minicabs.

                     MARIA EAGLE (Lab)                                     DAVID LIDINGTON(Con)

Maria Eagle (Garston and Halewood, Labour)

Asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much his Department spent on ministerial travel by (a) Government Car Service, (b) private hire vehicles, (c) taxis, (d) rail, (e) aviation and (f) other means in each year of the current parliament.

Hansard source (Citation: HC Deb, 3 June 2013, c865W)

The question was answered by David Lidington (Minister of State (Europe and NATO), Foreign and Commonwealth Office; Aylesbury, Conservative)

Details of ministerial overseas travel are published quarterly in line with the Ministerial Code. The most recent FCO returns can be found at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/foreign-commonwealth-office/series/minister-data

Earlier returns can be found at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/data-set-of-quarterly-returns-by-ministers-special-advisers-and-the-permanent-under-secretary

Departmental spend on the Government Car Service for ministerial travel is published in an annual written ministerial statement by the Department for Transport. Figures for 2010-11 were published on 16 January 2012, Hansard, columns 30-31WS, and for 2011-12 on 20 December 2012, Hansard, columns 126-128WS. Details of the costs for 2012-13 will be published in the normal way later this year.

Additionally, in 2010-11, the FCO spent £76,936 through FCO Services on the London Car Service. In 2011-12 this spend was £148,850 and in 2012-13 £144,698. The FCO moved from using only the Government Car Service to using the London Car Service (run by FCO Services) in September 2010.

Taxis are only used for ministerial travel in exceptional circumstances, where the Government Car Service or London Car Service is not available. To collate information on spend would incur disproportionate cost.

Section 10 of the Ministerial Code provides guidance on travel for Ministers and makes clear that Ministers must ensure that they always make efficient and cost-effective travel arrangements.