More than £21,000 was spent by government departments on taxis for civil servants and consultants during 2016-17.

Treasury Minister Alfred Cannan told Tynwald public servants could reclaim fares via expenses, use a government-issued purchase card or charge to an account.

Self-employed people working for the government could settle the payment through invoices for services provided.

’Using the relevant expenses code, I can best determine that in total government spent £27,447 with local taxi firms in 2009-10, for related journeys, and £21,674 in 2016-17,’ he said.

’Additionally, there was around £20,000 of other costs within that code each year which may include some taxi costs incurred in the other ways that I have described.’

He added: ’Cost has reduced in the period by some £6,000, which I think is a pleasing statistic.’

He was responding to a question from Jason Moorhouse (Arbory, Malew and Castletown).