Particle.news
Download on the App Store
4 ARTICLES
·
last mo.

Rayner’s Housing Ministry Records 34% Surge in Flights and £4.7 Million Travel Bill

Officials say most trips supported international conferences for Homes England despite criticism over costs and carbon output.

Image
Image
Business travel in Angela Rayner’s department increased by 34  per cent on the previous year
Image

Overview

  • Officials logged 514,785 km of international flights in the year to April 2025, a 34% rise on the 2023-24 figure of 108,060 km.
  • Total spend on official travel reached £4.7 million, including more than £20,000 for Rayner’s February visit to Ethiopia and Ghana.
  • Combined with domestic journeys, flights emitted 169.4 tonnes of CO₂, with domestic emissions doubling since 2017-18 instead of hitting the government’s 30% reduction target.
  • Tory MPs criticised the travel metrics as reckless use of taxpayer money and pointed to far lower figures under Conservative predecessors.
  • MHCLG says overall business travel emissions have fallen 33% since the 2017-18 baseline and that international flight emissions remain below pre-2018 levels.