In five years £740,234 has been spent moving government-owned paintings, sculptures and other artworks around the UK and the world. 

Art transport companies charge a premium, meaning the bill for one work often far exceeds a plane ticket. 

Last year, art air transport firm Martinspeed received £34,865 to send 28 pieces out to Tokyo to decorate the ambassador’s home. 

These included works by contemporary British artists such as Tracey Emin, who found fame for My Bed which showed her unmade bed, and Chris Ofili, who used elephant dung in some paintings. 

The fee was also for shipping 14 artworks back to the UK from Tokyo, including a 3ft high wooden egg by artist David Nash. 

Another £3,146 was spent moving 13 artworks to Paris, while three returned at a cost of £1,035. 

A total of £3,717 was spent flying one work – a print of artificial flowers in a glass vase by Hurvin Anderson – to Los Angeles. And in 2016, £38,819 was paid to ship nine pieces to the ambassador’s residence in Beijing and for the return of another 14. 

Sam Packer, at the TaxPayers’ Alliance, called such spending of tax money “preposterous”. He said: “They should be keeping costs as low as practically possible, not splashing the cash to ensure diplomats are surrounded by famous paintings.” 

The Department of Culture, Media and Sport said: “The Government Art Collection displays British works of art worldwide to promote UK creativity and showcase the nation’s talented artists. 

“It is an important part of our cultural diplomacy work, and displays are periodically refreshed in a way that minimises transport costs while ensuring the safety and security of the works in the collection.”

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