PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Travel (11 December 2014)

a) The overall spend on taxis has reduced significantly over the past five years. Taxis can only be used if the proposed journey is not practicable by public transport. These figures include the transportation of prisoners to medical appointments and funerals. The spend comes out of each prisons budget and can vary, depending on location. Greater use of pool cars has reduced the overall spend on taxis over the past five years.

MOJ has spent the following on taxis in the periods requested.

b) There is a ban on all first class travel. The only exception to this ban is to support the needs of some disabled staff in carrying out their duties, where it is reasonable to do so. Exceptions for rail travel cannot be made on any other grounds.

The MOJ has spent the following on first class rail travel in the periods requested (excluding spend by MOJ in December 2010 as this data is not currently available):

c) There is a ban on all first class travel, and on business class travel for flights less than eight hours duration, except in the case of flights of five hours and over where there is a business need, such as where staff are required to go straight into a meeting following a flight or where staff are required to work on a flight and a business case is approved.

The MOJ has spent the following on business class air travel for 2013 and 2014. Prior to 2013, the MoJ were contracted with a different supplier and to go through all of the individual travel records would incur disproportionate cost.