A science and technology unit in Swindon has spent almost £9 on staff flights and travel, a Freedom of Information request has revealed.
The Swindon Advertiser report:
A RESEARCH council in Swindon has come under fire for shelling out nearly £9m in the last three years to send staff on overseas trips, including to Hawaii, the Canary Islands, Japan and the USA.
The taxpayer-funded Science and Technology Facilities Council, which has its headquarters at Polaris House, North Star, spent a total of £8,487,998.49 on overseas travel, accommodation and subsistence, plus other expenses, including vehicle hire, mileage and parking tolls.
Figures released under the Freedom Of Information Act show £3m is spent annually on travel abroad from the overall STFC budget of £490,000.