Bill for premium travel tops £4 million over 18 months
By Rob Edwards, Environment Editor

Civil servants are reluctant to give up their travel perks to help save taxpayers' money, according to internal documents obtained by the Sunday Herald.

Despite pleas for cutbacks from managers, Scottish government officials have racked up nearly £4 million on premium-rate journeys over the past 18 months. Some £2.68m has gone on 6000 high-priced flights and £1.12m on 7000 first-class rail tickets.

The revelations have prompted criticisms of civil servants for failing to set a good example. But the Scottish government insisted officials had been told to travel in the most cost-effective way.

In response to a request under freedom of information legislation, the Scottish government last week released the most recent travel guidance for civil servants. Detailed figures on travel choices since April 2007 were also disclosed.

The documents reveal that 176 of the most senior officials are permitted to fly business class, while their 4800 colleagues have to slum it in economy. The economy fares do not guarantee seats near the front or food, though they can allow access to business lounges.

The resulting discrimination would cause "contention", one internal memo warned in 2006. "We need to take even more seriously the duty that has always been there to travel by the option that gives the best combination of sustainability and value for money," it said.

"A good test is whether we are behaving in much the same way as we would if we were spending our own money. Managers at all levels throughout the Executive should be encouraged to play their part."

The figures suggest, however, that this exhortation has been largely ignored. The number of higher-priced air fares has not declined over the past 18 months, while the number of trips using restricted or low-cost tickets has not significantly increased, with only 1500 flights booked with budget airlines.

On trains, civil servants at grade B3, earning £29,000 to £38,600 a year or above, are permitted to travel first-class. That amounts to more than 1700 staff.

Since April 2007, 1800 first-class rail trips have been made to London, costing the taxpayer £330,300. Over the same period only 548 journeys were by standard class, at a cost of £52,100.

Stephen Stradling, professor of transport psychology at Napier University in Edinburgh, urged the civil service to do better. "At a time of credit crunch and looming climate chaos, government and civil servants need to set an example by travelling as economically and sustainably as possible," he said.

The Green MSP Patrick Harvie said: "Barring an emergency, government staff should be taking the train for journeys on the mainland, not flying.

"But it seems that some senior staff find taking lots of domestic flights an irresistible perk. Perhaps it's seen as a comforting sign of how far up the greasy pole they've climbed."

The Scottish government stressed that delivering value for money was central to its travel policy. "When travelling on official business, ministers and civil servants are required to travel in the most cost-effective and time-efficient method available at the time of travelling," said a government spokesman.

"Ministers and civil servants are making increasing use of the video-conferencing facilities available, when appropriate, instead of travelling to meetings in the UK," he added. "Ministers and civil servants travel for a range of reasons - the aim of which is to ensure we effectively represent the people of Scotland and to ensure Scotland's voice is heard on important issues."