2p or not 2p. That is the question

If you're a special person in Government then you get a nice chauffeur driven car. If you're really unlucky you'll get yourself a Toyota Prius (which makes you feel good even though it looks horrible), unless of course you're the Lord Chancellor and think "sod that I want a Jaguar XJS". There is thought one seriously unlucky sod who's managed to get lumbered with a Mondeo but I digress.

All these cars are from the fleet of the Government Car and Despatch Agency which manages to clock up mileage in the millions each year. At the same time they also manage to clock up quite a few fines, especially for parking. It's not a particularly high figure to be fair, but there is something quaintly amusing about the fact that they use taxpayers money to pay the fines.

Last year they paid 5898.02 in parking tickets, which, as I say, isn't a lot of money really considering it is just being moved around anyway. What I really want to understand though is where the two pence came from? It will, I'm sure, remain a mystery of life to me just like the question about why we consider it necessary to nail down the lid of a coffin but I'm going to say it anyway.