The agreement grants officials up to 500 hours of helicopter use a year, crewed by RAF personnel based at RAF Northolt

RAF

Contract extended to allow officials use of RAF helicopter travel from Northolt

Defence Secretary Grant Shapps has extended the contract with the Royal Air Force to provide helicopter travel to government officials.

The decision is a reversal of a previous announcement by Mr Shapps' predecessor, Ben Wallace, who said he would scrap the £40m deal.

The agreement grants officials up to 500 hours of helicopter use a year, crewed by RAF personnel based at Northolt, to take them any distance up to 250 miles.

The Prime Minister has been criticised in the past for using helicopters for short journeys that could have been taken in a train or car.

But the Ministry of Defence said: "All ministerial and senior defence official travel is undertaken using efficient and cost-effective travel arrangements.

"This contract was extended primarily in order to provide travel for the command functions of the Ministry of Defence.

"As a whole, domestic flights within the United Kingdom allow ministers to visit more parts of the United Kingdom in the time available, particularly areas further away from London, and reduce the need for overnight accommodation for ministers and accompanying staff.

"Security considerations are also taken into account."

The arrangement for government ministers and officials to have access to helicopters from 32l Squadron has been in place since 1959.