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<p>It should be noted that it is not possible to make year-on-year comparisons over
these four years due to significant changes in the way that the data requested is
recorded, in particular due to a change in travel provider towards the end of 2015/16.
The change in travel provider has also made it difficult to obtain a full set of data
for 2015/16 and prior years without incurring disproportionate cost.</p><p> </p><p>All
central Department staff, who incur most of the travel spend across the DfT family,
are expected to travel standard class irrespective of grade except under very limited
circumstances. With respect to air travel staff are allowed to book non-standard class
flights if they are longer than eight hours in duration and with the expectation that
the individual needs to carry out Departmental work as soon as they arrive at the
destination. The majority of the central Department non-standard class air travel
is incurred by aviation security officials flying to long-haul destinations around
the world for sensitive aviation security operations.</p><p> </p><p>Aside from the
central Department, the vast majority otherwise of the business class air travel is
incurred by the VCA and the MCA. However, for VCA the majority of overseas travel
is chargeable to the VCA's clients and so any business class air travel spend by the
VCA will result in only a minimal net cost to the taxpayer.</p><p> </p><p>Similarly,
MCA’s Marine Surveyors are required to survey UK-registered ships on a regular basis
wherever the ship may be at that time and they have to fly globally to those locations.
The cost of the airfare is recovered as part of the fee paid by the shipping company
for the regulatory work, so therefore any business class air travel by the MCA will
result in only a minimal net cost to the taxpayer.</p><p> </p><p>With respect to first
class rail travel, all central Department staff must travel standard class irrespective
of grade, except under two specific circumstances - temporary or permanent disability
and pregnancy related reasons.</p><p> </p><p>Over the four years in question, data
is not available from either all parts of the Department or for all time periods.
In addition, for the central Department for the years 2013/14 to 2015/16, due to the
way that travel was booked at this time, it is not possible to obtain a complete record
of spend. Therefore it is not possible to compare the spend data from year to year.</p><p>
</p><p> </p><p>For 2013/14, available information covering the central Department,
DVLA, VCA, DSA, the MCA and Highways Agency is: Taxi spend = £169,052 (though no information
is available for the MCA); first class rail travel = £33,873 and business class air
travel = £243,170. No information is available for VOSA.</p><p> </p><p>For 2014/15,
data is only available covering the first 8 months of the year except the central
Department does have taxi spend data for 12 months. Data covering the central Department,
DVLA, VCA, DSA, the MCA and the Highways Agency is: Taxi spend = £153,246 (though
no information is available for the MCA); first class rail travel = £18,477 and business
class air travel = £110,188. No information is available for VOSA.</p><p> </p><p>For
2015/16, data is mainly only available covering the last 4 months of the year due
to a change in travel provider, except the DVLA does have 12 months of data for all
spend and the central Department, VCA and MCA do have taxi spend data for 12 months.
Data covering the central Department, DVLA and VCA is: Taxi spend = £182,099 (this
also includes MCA spend); first class rail travel = £5,479 (no data available for
the MCA); business class air travel = £167,420 (no data available for the MCA). No
information is available for the DVSA and the Highways Agency is no longer an Executive
Agency of DfT.</p><p> </p><p>For 2016/17, data is available for the full 12 months
of the year for the central Department, DVLA, VCA and MCA: Taxi spend = £191,307;
first class rail travel = £10,503; business class air travel = £1,155,965. No data
is available for DVSA and the Highways Agency is no longer an Executive Agency of
DfT.</p><p> </p>
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