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387824

registered interest
date	06/07/2015
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Travel
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many (a) civil servants and (b) special advisers in his Department are entitled to the use of (i) a car with a dedicated driver, (ii) a car from the Government car pool and (iii) a taxi ordered through a departmental account.
tabling member constituency	West Bromwich East
tabling member printed	Tom Watson
uin	5739
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/07/2015 answer text Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) staff in the UK do not use a car with dedicated driver. FCO Services has a small pool of vehicles and security cleared drivers which are used mainly for transporting Queen's Messengers, diplomatic bags and other classified material. As part of a long-standing arrangement, the Permanent Under-Secretary and other senior officials are able to draw on this pool for official and operationally necessary travel. The FCO does make use of a taxi service provider which FCO staff are entitled to use according to strict policy rules governing the use of taxis for official journeys. FCO policy states that ‘for duty travel staff should use the most efficient means of transport; the use of taxis for official business should be avoided unless it is absolutely necessary, usually when there is no other means of public transport to the destination, or there is a need to transport bulky official materials (not personal luggage) to or from a course, seminar or meeting. FCO Staff are entitled to use a taxi when it is considered the most efficient means of transport. Special Advisers are not entitled to us ethe FCO Services provided small car pool or the departmental taxi provision. The statistical information requested is not held centrally and can only be collated at disproportionate cost. answering member constituency Bournemouth East answering member printed Mr Tobias Ellwood question first answered 09/07/2015 13:44:41 answering member 1487 label Biography information for Mr Tobias Ellwood
tabling member	1463 label Biography information for Lord Watson of Wyre Forest

387825

registered interest
date	06/07/2015
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Official Gifts
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many and what value of gifts were bought for foreign dignitaries visiting UK embassies in the last 12 months for which figures are available.
tabling member constituency	West Bromwich East
tabling member printed	Tom Watson
uin	5743
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/07/2015 answer text <p>This information is not readily available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost. <br><br>Foreign and Commonwealth Office guidance on gift-giving is that staff should ensure that gifts, advantages and hospitality given is appropriate, proportionate and open. Gifts would not normally be given to foreign dignitaries visiting a British Embassy in a third country.</p> answering member constituency Aylesbury answering member printed Mr David Lidington question first answered 09/07/2015 16:14:04 answering member 15 label Biography information for Sir David Lidington
tabling member	1463 label Biography information for Lord Watson of Wyre Forest

387876

registered interest
date	06/07/2015
answering body	Department for International Development
answering dept id	20
answering dept short name	International Development
answering dept sort name	International Development
hansard heading	Department for International Development: Travel
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many (a) civil servants and (b) special advisers in her Department are entitled to the use of a (i) car with a dedicated driver, (ii) car from the Government car pool and (iii) taxi ordered through a departmental account.
tabling member constituency	West Bromwich East
tabling member printed	Tom Watson
uin	5744
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/07/2015 answer text <p>Civil servants, including special advisers, may use a taxi or Government car in properly defined circumstances. Information about the use of taxis and Government cars for the most senior civil servants is published on a quarterly basis.</p> answering member constituency New Forest West answering member printed Mr Desmond Swayne question first answered 09/07/2015 11:38:35 answering member 55 label Biography information for Sir Desmond Swayne
tabling member	1463 label Biography information for Lord Watson of Wyre Forest

387628

registered interest
date	03/07/2015
answering body	Department for Transport
answering dept id	27
answering dept short name	Transport
answering dept sort name	Transport
hansard heading	Taxis
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will bring forward legislation to amend the definition of plying for hire in the taxi industry.
tabling member constituency	West Bromwich East
tabling member printed	Tom Watson
uin	5604
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/07/2015 answer text <p>In its comprehensive review of taxi and private hire legislation, the Law Commission addressed the issue of creating a statutory definition of plying for hire. The Government is currently considering the Law Commission’s report and in line with the protocol that exists between the Government and the Law Commission, we will provide a full response in due course.</p> answering member constituency Harrogate and Knaresborough answering member printed Andrew Jones question first answered 08/07/2015 12:03:06 answering member 3996 label Biography information for Andrew Jones
tabling member	1463 label Biography information for Lord Watson of Wyre Forest

387450

registered interest
date	02/07/2015
answering body	Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
answering dept id	26
answering dept short name	Business, Innovation and Skills
answering dept sort name	Business, Innovation and Skills
hansard heading	Department for Business, Innovation and Skills: Travel
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many (a) civil servants and (b) special advisers in his Department are entitled to the use of a (i) car with a dedicated driver, (ii) car from the Government car pool and (iii) taxi ordered through a departmental account.
tabling member constituency	West Bromwich East
tabling member printed	Tom Watson
uin	5463
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/07/2015 answer text <p>Civil servants, including special advisers, may use a taxi or Government car in properly defined circumstances. Information about the use of taxis and government cars for the most senior civil servants are published on a quarterly basis at <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications?keywords=&amp;publication_filter_option=transparency-data&amp;topics%5B%5D=all&amp;departments%5B%5D=department-for-business-innovation-skills&amp;official_document_status=all&amp;world_locations%5B%5D=all&amp;from_date=&amp;to_date=&amp;commit=Refresh+results" target="_blank">www.gov.uk</a>.</p> answering member constituency Broxtowe answering member printed Anna Soubry question first answered 10/07/2015 14:00:01 answering member 3938 label Biography information for Anna Soubry
tabling member	1463 label Biography information for Lord Watson of Wyre Forest

387451

registered interest
date	02/07/2015
answering body	Cabinet Office
answering dept id	53
answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
hansard heading	Government Departments: Travel
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will publish the revised travel guidance used by Government departments on first class rail travel.
tabling member constituency	West Bromwich East
tabling member printed	Tom Watson
uin	5464
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/07/2015 answer text <p>There is no single government-wide travel policy, each department is responsible for setting its own travel policy.</p> answering member constituency West Suffolk answering member printed Matthew Hancock question first answered 09/07/2015 14:58:31 answering member 4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock
tabling member	1463 label Biography information for Lord Watson of Wyre Forest

387452

registered interest
date	02/07/2015
answering body	Ministry of Defence
answering dept id	11
answering dept short name	Defence
answering dept sort name	Defence
hansard heading	Ministry of Defence: Drinks
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much his private Ministerial office spent on (a) tea and coffee, (b) wine, (c) alcoholic refreshments other than wine and (d) bottled water in the last 12 months for which figures are available.
tabling member constituency	West Bromwich East
tabling member printed	Tom Watson
uin	5473
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/07/2015 answer text <p>Tea, coffee and bottled water are provided from a central contract and the costs cannot be identified separately. A minimal amount has been spent on gifts of alcohol to visiting foreign dignitaries.</p> answering member constituency Sevenoaks answering member printed Michael Fallon question first answered 10/07/2015 13:38:53 answering member 88 label Biography information for Sir Michael Fallon
tabling member	1463 label Biography information for Lord Watson of Wyre Forest

387453

registered interest
date	02/07/2015
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Department for Education: Drinks
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much her private Ministerial office spent on (a) tea and coffee, (b) wine, (c) alcoholic refreshments other than wine and (d) bottled water in the last 12 months for which figures are available.
tabling member constituency	West Bromwich East
tabling member printed	Tom Watson
uin	5471
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/07/2015 answer text <p>We do not hold separate information for each ministerial office. All expenditure is incurred in accordance with the principles of Managing Public Money and the Treasury handbook on Regularity and Propriety.</p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 09/07/2015 08:20:04 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
tabling member	1463 label Biography information for Lord Watson of Wyre Forest

387454

registered interest
date	02/07/2015
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Department for Education: Travel
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many (a) civil servants and (b) special advisers in her Department are entitled to the use of a (i) car with a dedicated driver, (ii) car from the Government car pool and (iii) taxi ordered through a departmental account.
tabling member constituency	West Bromwich East
tabling member printed	Tom Watson
uin	5462
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/07/2015 answer text <p>There are no civil servants or special advisers entitled to the use of (i) a car with a dedicated driver or (ii) a car from the government car pool.</p><p> </p><p>Civil servants and special advisers are discouraged from using a taxi unless there are special circumstances.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 09/07/2015 08:20:51 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
tabling member	1463 label Biography information for Lord Watson of Wyre Forest

387455

registered interest
date	02/07/2015
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Drinks
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how much his private Ministerial office spent on (a) tea and coffee, (b) wine, (c) alcoholic refreshments other than wine and (d) bottled water in the last 12 months for which figures are available.
tabling member constituency	West Bromwich East
tabling member printed	Tom Watson
uin	5472
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/07/2015 answer text <p>Spend by the Private Office on tea, coffee and water provided during official meetings in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) totalled £2820.86 in 2014-15. No funds were spent on wine or other alcoholic refreshments for meetings in the FCO. For comparison, the spend in 2009-10 was £7,340.16.</p><p>It is not possible to give figures for spending on beverages for other official hospitality in the UK or for overseas trips as they are not recorded separately and to identify them would incur disproportionate cost.</p> answering member constituency Aylesbury answering member printed Mr David Lidington question first answered 09/07/2015 16:32:34 answering member 15 label Biography information for Sir David Lidington
tabling member	1463 label Biography information for Lord Watson of Wyre Forest