Our civil servants rate themselves very highly for a trip to Mongolia

DO you know what the “conference rate” is? It’s one of the categories of travelling expenses paid to civil servants while they’re abroad.

There are four different rates — one paid for every night they’re away from home, two that apply if they’re away for five hours or 10 hours, and the conference rate. All these rates have been in operation for years and years.

The assumption is that a civil servant who has to travel abroad has expenses to incur — one meal if they’re away for a short time, two meals if they’re away for a bit longer and, of course, a hotel room if they’re away overnight.