Wales Office's £100,000 first class travel bill

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Thursday, March 11, 2010
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This is SouthWales

MINISTERS and civil servants at the Wales Office have spent almost £100,000 on first class travel over the past year, figures showed tonight.

Welsh Secretary Peter Hain said ministers had spent £12,136 while civil servants at a range of grades accounted for £86,671 – a total of £98,807.

It means the department – which has just 60 staff and two ministers – spent £270.70 a day on first class travel over the past 12 months.

In a written parliamentary answer to shadow Treasury chief secretary Phillip Hammond, Mr Hain said workers travelled between offices in England and Wales.

"As the Wales Office operates on split sites both in Cardiff and London, ministers and staff need to travel between offices in the conduct of their duties," the Welsh Secretary said.

"All official travel by ministers and civil servants is undertaken in accordance with the requirements of the ministerial code and the civil service management code."

Standard class off-peak return tickets between London and Wales cost £74, with some available at £60.70. Off-peak first class tickets for the same journey cost £166.

Standard class anytime return tickets cost £183, with the first class version priced at £284.

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18 Comments

  • Profile image for This is SouthWales

    by Linda, Neath

    Friday, March 12 2010, 2:54PM

    “Evening Post can you please change the picture of Peter Hain as it has been bandied about for a few years now and I know what he is doing with his finger - WAGging it to threaten us that it is either him or the Welsh Assembly Government :)”

  • Profile image for This is SouthWales

    by anon, morfa

    Friday, March 12 2010, 2:10PM

    “suz, Swansea - even the scots MP's travel to london as well by train, some my also fly back and fore, but no mention of that on the papers, or is it like the north/south wales air flight to cardiff .? tax payers again-WAG”

  • Profile image for This is SouthWales

    by rob, swansea

    Friday, March 12 2010, 12:28PM

    “And when they push the self governing rule through the expenses will tripple and us mugs wont be able to do anything about it as its passed in a minority law , just handing over our hard earned tax week in week out so they can do what they want , as all the cut backs these days are from services from the public not from the mp s money which need to be looked in to as it grows on trees where they come from”

  • Profile image for This is SouthWales

    by jeffery, dirtytown

    Friday, March 12 2010, 12:16PM

    “I often wonder when I see this picture if he is sizing up his finger ready to insert it into his nose but cannot make up his mind”

  • Profile image for This is SouthWales

    by Anon, Neath

    Friday, March 12 2010, 12:38AM

    “Scrap the WAG at the first opportunity. Who shafts the Welsh better than the Welsh. Its like having a big local council, but even more inept. Give these idiots more powers at our peril. We would be bankrupt, morally and financially within a year. You only have to look at that power hungry oaf, President Salmond, to see where we would end up. Both him and that Plaid pillock both want full independance, but moan because they are not included in the Televised election debate on, basically, who is going to run GREAT BRITAIN! Make your minds up, children.”

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