£6m bill for ministerial cars

The cost of running the Government's cars to ferry around ministers was more than £6 million last year, figures revealed today.

The taxpayer spent £6,281,000 on providing more than 90 chauffeur-driven cars in 2008-90 - up from £5.9 million last year.

The Cabinet Office used the most cars - seven - for the Prime Minister, Cabinet Office ministers and Minister for the Olympics Tessa Jowell, at a cost of £426,200.

The Ministry of Defence has one car, costing £85,100 to run last year.

Lord Mandelson's Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, now Department for Business, Innovation and Skills used six cars, costing £274,000.

The other departments to require six cars were the Treasury, the Department of Health, the Home Office, the Department for Work and Pensions and the Department for Communities and Local Government. Of these the Home Office had the biggest bill at £483,300.

The Northern Ireland Office, Scotland Office and Wales Office all run two cars each costing £286,200, £103,900 and £137,000 respectively.

The figures were published in a written ministerial statement by Transport Secretary Lord Adonis.