1ST CLASS INJUSTICE’
SENIOR civil servants have blown £4million on firstclass train tickets and business-class air travel – all since the government called time on the perk in 2010.
The Ministry of Justice officials spent a further £25million on taxis in the same four-year period.
Both first-class train travel and business-class flights were discouraged after the MP expenses scandal. But new MoJ figures reveal hundreds of civil servants simply ignored Chancellor George Osborne’s warning that l uxury travel was incompatible with austerity.
In 2008/9 £45million was spent by civil servants on posh rail fares. David Laws, then Chief Treasury Secretary, said he and Mr Osborne were minded to deduct “any firstclass travel from the future spending limits of any public sector body which spends its scarce resources in this way.”
The figures, revealed by a parliamentary question, show from 2010 to 2014, MoJ staff spent £25million on taxis, £3.6million on first-class rail plus £165,000 on business flights in 2013/14.
TaxPayers’ Alliance director John O’Connell said: “This Government made a song and dance about protecting taxpayers, and it’s deeply concerning that MoJ spending is still so high.”
The MoJ said: “Taxis are only used if the journey is not practicable by public transport.” It added figures included prisoner travel to doctors or funerals.