HC Deb 07 July 1980 vol 988 cc36-8W
Mr. Kilroy-Silk

asked the Lord Privy Seal what kind of expenses are met by Her Majesty's Government for officially-sponsored visitors.

Mr. Blaker

Visitors to the United Kingdom officially sponsored by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office fall into three main categories: those for whom all reasonable transportation, accommodation, and hospitality costs are met; those for whom all reasonable cost with the exception of transportation to and from their own countries are paid; and finally, by far the largest group, those who are in the United Kingdom on their own business and for whom only a programme is arranged and minor local transport and hospitality costs may be incurred.

Mr. Kilroy-Silk

asked the Lord Privy Seal how many officially-sponsored visitors, by country, to the United Kingdom there have been so far in the current year.

Mr. Blaker

In the course of this financial year from 1 April to 30 June there have been 387 visitors to this country sponsored by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office from the following countries:

Angola 2
Argentina 1
Australia 18
Bangladesh 2
Barbados 1
Bahrain 4
Belgium 5
Brazil 10
Cameroon 3
Canada 20
Chile 5
Colombia 1
Cyprus 1
Czechoslovakia 3
Ecuador 1
Finland 7
France 17
Federal Republic of Germany 44
Ghana 4
Gibraltar 1
Greece 2
Guyana 1
Hungary 6
Iceland 2
India 16
Israel 9
Israeli Occupied Territories 2
Italy 1
Jamaica 2
Japan 3
Jordan 1
Kenya 8
Korea 11
Lesotho 1
Malaysia 19
Malawi 23
Mali 1
Mauritius 1
Mexico 3
Netherlands 3
New Zealand 10
Nigeria 19
Oman 2
Pakistan 1
Papua New Guinea 1
Paraguay 1
Poland 1
Portugal 4
Singapore 9
South Africa 5
Spain 6
Sri Lanka 4
Sweden 12
Switzerland 3
Tanzania 2
Trinidad 4
Turkey 5
United Arab Emirates 5
United States 19
Uruguay 1

Venezuela 1
Yemen Arab Republic 1
Yugoslavia 1
Zambia 4
Zimbabwe 1

Mr. Kilroy-Silk

asked the Lord Privy Seal how many officially-sponsored visitors, by country, are currently in the United Kingdom.

Mr. Blaker

During the week beginning 30 June 1980, there was a total of 71 visitors officially sponsored by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in the United Kingdom from the following countries:

Australia 4
Belgium 1
Cameroon 3
Canada 1
Czechoslovakia 2
France 1
Ghana 1
Gibraltar 1
Greece 1
Federal Republic of Germany 2
Hungary 2
Iceland 2
India 2
Israel 3
Jamaica 1
Kenya 3
Korea 3
Malaysia 20
Netherlands 1
New Zealand 1
Oman 2
Spain 3
Sri Lanka 3
United Arab Emirates 5
U.S.A. 1
Zambia 1
Zimbabwe 1