Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary at the Department for Transport on 9 July (HC16088), on what basis each of the 12 additional journeys approved from their overseas posting in New Delhi under the qualifying hardship post policy was authorised; and whether each journey was taken by (a) the posted officer only, or (b) accompanying family members.

The Department for Transport follows the hardship policy set by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, including the entitlement to additional journeys, which enables staff and accompanying dependants at qualifying hardship posts to take a break away from local conditions during their posting. New Delhi is a qualifying hardship post under that policy.

Each of the 12 additional journeys referred to in the Answer of 9 July was authorised under the hardship-post entitlement available to staff and eligible accompanying dependants serving at qualifying hardship posts.

Of those 12 journeys, six were undertaken by the posted officer and six were undertaken by their accompanying partner.