FOI release

First class travel

Published 29 November 2010

We were asked:

  1. How much our department has spent on first class rail travel in the current financial year and in the last three full financial years.
  2. Whether our department has permitted any spending on first class rail fares as of 3 November 2010 and if so how many staff were permitted to travel first class.
  3. The most recent date that any of our staff were allowed to travel first class on trains.

Immediately upon taking office the Welsh Secretary instigated a standard class only travel policy for all ministers and staff in May 2010, and no first class travel has been permitted since that date. Before this date all staff from Senior Executive officer and above, as well as ministers and staff travelling with ministers were permitted to travel by first class rail. No member of staff has travelled first class since 8 April 2010.

In the current financial year the Wales office has spent £351.50 on first class rail travel.

In the last 3 full financial years we spent the following amounts on first class rail travel:

2007-08 £103,259.75 2008-09 £122,171.95 2009-10 £127,452.55