Another question, another answer

Phil Woolas, the Immigration Minister, provided an answer to a written question on the use of taxis by the Home Office.

In 2008-09 the Home Office spent £1,045,671 on taxi fares. It had been £900,000 in the previous financial year, or an increase of 16%, at a time when the country was in recession and people were losing houses and jobs.

In 1997 the figure was £30,000. So why has it risen 33 times since then?

Over the past 11 years total accumulated spending was £5.6 million. If the Chancellor is looking for efficiency savings, and Cameron and company as well, surely here is one extravagance which could be reduced!

These details were released by David Ruffley, the shadow police reform minister, who described the increase and the total as "utterly disgraceful".

Senior staff at the Home Office, oh dear its Jacqui bath plug Smith and her colleagues, have limousines and protection costing perhaps £100,000 a year. Taxi fares are for junior staff, and they are spending almost £3,000 per day. Where are they all going, and why?

This is spending by just one department. I wonder what the total across all departments is?