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One of the perks of ministerial life is the government car to ferry you (and your red boxes) between home, work and official engagements.

Indeed, former Foreign Secretary Sir Malcolm Rifkind once joked that loss of office only hit home when he got in the back seat of his car and discovered that it didn't move.

Former Labour Minister ruffled Whitehall feathers by trying to dispose of the chauffer-driven car allotted to him.

David Cameron says his battle inspired him to try to cut the costs of ministerial travel, a drive being felt in the Wales Office.

The department currently leases two cars, a Toyota Prius in Westminster and a Jaguar (an XJ TDVi Executive 2.7 litre diesel saloon since you ask) in Cardiff.

Anto the Wales Office produced the following response: "In 2008-09 and 2009-10, the Wales Office leased two cars in London (both Toyota Prius) and one car in Cardiff (Jaguar). In 2008-09, the monthly charge was £14,478.91; giving an overall annual charge of £173,746.92. In 2009-10, the monthly charge was £14,191.79; giving an overall annual charge of £170,301.48."

That figure, which covers the last two years of the last Labour government, is more than the total paid to the two Wales Office Ministers in "ministerial entitlement" (pay minus salary as MPs) each year.

Spending on transport has fallen since September 2010, when one of the leases was cancelled on Secretary of State Cheryl Gillan's instructions.

The lease on the Jag runs out in May next year and, I suspect, is unlikely to be renewed.

Perhaps this photograph, taken at the Ryder Cup venue, shows Cheryl Gillan in the style to which she may shortly have to become accustomed. She could always emulate a Welsh Office Minister in the 1970s who discovered he could only alleviate the carsickness he suffered in the back of the vehicle by displacing the chauffeur and driving himself from north to south Wales.

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