Departmental Rail Travel
Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
Written answers and statements, 3 November 2009
Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam, Liberal Democrat)
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much his Department spent on first class rail travel by its officials in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement.
Chris Bryant (Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Foreign and Commonwealth Office; Rhondda, Labour)
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office spend on first-class travel within the UK was as follows:
| Financial year | £ |
| 2007-08(1) | 10,537.25 |
| 2008-09 | 49,700.00 |
| 2009-10(2) | 13,225.40 |
| (1) January to March. (2 )Up to September. | |
The Hogg Robinson Group took over the travel contract in December 2007 and figures prior to this date are not available.
UK Staff on duty travel are only entitled to first-class rail travel when the journey time is over two hours, all other journeys must be made in standard class.