MINISTRY OF DEFENCE
Level 3, Zone M
Main Building
Whitehall
London
SW1A 2HB
Tel:
020 721 89000
E-mail: xxxxxxx@xxx.xx
DG Finance & DG Strategy Business Management Sec
For the attention of Mr Farnet
Our Reference: FOI 04-04-2011-121247-006
Date 6 May 2011
Dear Mr Farnet,
Your correspondence dated 2 April 2011 has been considered to be a request for
information in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
Although I am unable to provide a complete response yet, your questions along with
the answers that we have so far are given below:
1. In each of the financial years 2008/09, 2009/10 and 2010/11 how much has the
Department spent on all travel for Ministers, Directors and Staff?
We are currently working on improving the transparency of travel and subsistence
costs over the three-year period you are interested in and will provide this information
(with a clear explanation of what the figures cover) in the next few weeks, but I regret
we will not be able to give you a breakdown by status of staff.
2. In each of the financial years 2008/09, 2009/10 and 2010/11 how much has the
Department spent on air travel for Ministers, Directors and Staff? Additionally, how
much of these amounts was Charter, 1st Class, Business Class or Standard Class
split by UK vs International.
The amount spent under the Defence Travel Contract on air fares has been as follows.
I regret we cannot break this down by status of staff or by UK and international.
2008-2009 - £77,504,895, of which £372,030 was First Class, £24,667,370 Business
Class, £4,011,843 Premium Economy and £48,443,575 Economy class.
2009-10 - £63,037,685, of which £229,843 was First Class, £13,551,456 Business
Class, £2,888,851 Premium Economy and ££46,366,072 Economy Class
2010-11 - £51,311,959, of which £318,048 was First Class, £8,592,491 Business
Class, £2,307,954 Premium Economy, £828,019 Disc Economy and £39,265,446
Economy Class.
3. In each of the financial years 2008/09, 2009/10 and 2010/11 how much has the
Department spent on airport VIP assistance and lounges for Ministers, Directors and
Staff split by UK vs International.
We are currently checking what information may be available and will provide this
information in the next few weeks
4. In each of the financial years 2008/09, 2009/10 and 2010/11 how much has the
Department spent on rail travel for Ministers, Directors and Staff? Additionally, how
much of these amounts was 1st Class and how much was Standard Class.
The amount we spent on UK Domestic rail travel booked through the Defence Travel
Contract or on rail journeys by warrant has been as follows. I regret we cannot break
this down by status of staff or give a full class-of-travel breakdown:
2008-09 - £37,409,428. We are only able to give a class-of travel breakdown for the
Defence Travel Contract element, of which £6,598,791 was First Class and
£2,909,789 was Standard Class.
2009-10 - £42,049,049. We are only able to give a class-of travel breakdown for the
Defence Travel Contract element, of which £5,573,575 was First Class and
£16,380,329 was Standard Class
2010-11 - £29,490,536. We are only able to give a class-of travel breakdown for the
Defence Travel Contract element, of which £226,177 was First Class and £16,688,032
was Standard Class
5. In each of the financial years 2008/09, 2009/10 and 2010/11 how much has the
Department spent on taxi travel for Ministers, Directors and Staff?
I will provide the available information within the next few weeks. This will be for the
reimbursement of taxi fares to Service Personnel only as the civilian expenses system
includes expenditure on taxis with expenditure on a number of miscellaneous travel
costs (such as bus and underground fares and parking and road tolls). I regret we will
not be able to provide a breakdown by status of staff.
6. In each of the financial years 2008/09, 2009/10 and 2010/11 how much has the
Department spent on chauffeured vehicles for Ministers and Directors?
We hold figures for 2009-10 for Ministers (£324,432) and for senior officials at DG
level and above (£301,000). These figures represent how much we spent on running
the vehicles, including the cost of the lease, driver, maintenance, servicing,
consumables, fuel and the employer’s contribution to benefits-in-kind taxation, where
applicable. Figures for 2010-11 are not yet available.
7. In each of the financial years 2008/09, 2009/10 and 2010/11 how much has the
Department spent on reimbursing car mileage for Ministers, Directors and Staff?
The total amount we have reimbursed to all staff for use of their private vehicles on
official duty in 2009-10 was £37,292,646. (I will provide figures for the other two years
in the next few weeks). This expenditure represents the cost of fixed mileage
rates through which Service and civilian personnel are assisted with the expenses
they incur when using a privately owned vehicle for travel on official MOD business. I
regret we do not hold a breakdown by status of staff.
8. In each of the financial years 2008/09, 2009/10 and 2010/11 how much has the
Department spent on renting vehicles for Ministers, Directors and Staff?
The cost of the White Fleet Contract Vehicle Rental Service and of non-contract auto
rental has been as follows (I regret we do not hold a breakdown by status of staff):
2008-09 - £21,847,945
2009-10 - £20,120,946
2010-11 - £16,899,612
We also have a White Fleet Contract for the provision of Continuous Use pool
vehicles, the cost of which is as follows:
2008-09 - £20,700,000
2009-10 - £21,200,000
2010-11 - £16,899,612
9. In each of the financial years 2008/09, 2009/10 and 2010/11 how much has the
Department spent on hotel accommodation for Ministers, Directors and Staff split by
UK vs International?
I should be able to give you this information within the next few weeks, but not broken
down by status of staff or split by UK vs international.
10. In each of the financial years 2008/09, 2009/10 and 2010/11 how much has the
Department spent on subsistence for Ministers, Directors and Staff?
I should be able to give you this information within the next few weeks, but not broken
down by status of staff.
11. Please can you provide a copy of the Department’s travel and subsistence policy
/procedures manual.
I attach a copy of the Joint Service Publication on Passenger Travel and the policy,
rules and guidance on Civilian Detached Duty Expenses, including that on related
insurance
I regret that I have been unable to provide a complete response with 20 working days,
but I will respond on the remaining points as soon as I am able in the next few weeks.
Yours sincerely
DG Finance & DG Strategy Business Management Secretariat
If you are not satisfied with this response or you wish to complain about any aspect of
the handling of your request, then you should contact me in the first instance. If
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