When it comes down to the whole allowances / rates / expenses debacle, there is very little that suprises me anymore. That said, I would be very interested to know who at Waddo has decided to implement this. There is no mention of it in JSP 752, and that is the document stations should be working to rather than localy made up orders.
On a lighter note. Are you aware that you are entitled to spend over your "capped" rate of daily subsistence? True, you will get audited and have to provide justification. However, in the case of having only recieved a tenner to get yourself an evening meal due to the rate reduction mentioned above, I would have thought the justification would be fairly obvious.
While I'm here, I'd like to say that the system that has been dumped upon us is a buch of ar*e. I am yet to be told how I don't end up out of pocket on every trip. I can't hand change back to the imprest and can't claim it back either.