HC Deb 21 July 1980 vol 989 cc62-75W
Sir Donald Kaberry

asked the Lord Privy Seal how many Ministers in his Department have made journeys abroad; if he will specify the number of separate occasions (a) to EEC countries and (b) to overseas countries outside the EEC within the 12 months to 30 June; how many staff of his Department and others accompanied the individual Minister on each occasion; what was the overall cost on each occasion in respect of travel, subsistence and other expenditure involved; how many days were occupied on each visit; what was the object of each journey; and how many such visits are now planned to be undertaken from 1 July to 31 December.

Sir Ian Gilmour

All Ministers in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office have made journeys abroad. Those made between 1 July 1979 and 30 June 1980 are set out in the table below: except as stated otherwise, the purpose of each visit was bilateral discussions. On present plans there may be 16 visits to European Community countries and 39 visits to other countries between 1 July and 31 December 1980.

(a) EEC COUNTRIES
Country visited Ministers Accompanying officials etc. Overall cost to FCO £ Number of days*
Ireland Secretary of State 3 930 Day visit
France Minister of State (Mr. Blaker) 4 622 1 Talks on New Hebrides
Federal Republic of Germany Secretary of State 4 448 Day visit
Netherlands Secretary of State 5 865 Day visit
Denmark Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Mr. Luce) 1 724 1 Talks on Rhodesia
Belgium Secretary of State 5 880 1 Paul Henri Spaak Foundation Lecture
France Minister of State (Mr. Ridley) 4 785 1
Federal Republic of Germany Lord Mowbray 1 572 1 Opening of Haus der Kunst
Federal Republic of Germany Minister of State (Mr. Hurd) 121 2 Tonissteiner Kreis Group and Official talks
France Minister of State (Mr. Blaker) 2 395 1 Talks on New Hebrides
Italy
Netherlands Lord Privy Seal 4 3,365 4
Luxembourg
Belgium Lord Privy Seal 4 867 1 Includes Council of Ministers
Federal Republic of Germany Lord Privy Seal 5 927 1
Republic of Ireland Lord Privy Seal 3 1,031 1
Denmark Lord Privy Seal 5 2,249 2
France
France Secretary of State 3 1,091 1
Federal Republic of Germany Secretary of State 3 1,283 1
France Minister of State (Mr. Hurd) 2 341 1
France Minister of State (Mr. Blaker) 1 256 1 Talks on New Hebrides
Federal Republic of Germany Secretary of State 2 1,500 1
Federal Republic of Germany Minister of State (Mr. Hurd) 120 Bildeberg Conference
France Minister of State (Mr. Blaker) 4 550 1 Talks on New Hebrides
Republic of Ireland Lord Privy Seal 2 1,113 1
Denmark Parliamentary Under-Secretary 1 720 1

Country visited Ministers Accompanying officials etc. Overall cost to FCO £ Number of days*
Belgium Secretary of State 7 1,639 1 EEC Council of Foreign Ministers
Republic of Ireland Secretary of State 3 8,744 1 Meeting of EEC Foreign Ministers
Belgium Minister of State (Mr. Hurd) 4 80 1 Meeting of EEC Foreign Ministers
Luxembourg Lord Privy Seal 3 1,673 1 Meeting of EEC Foreign Ministers
Republic of Ireland Minister of State (Mr. Hurd) 5 1,067 1 EEC Political Co-operation Meeting
Belgium Secretary of State 5 87 1 Council of Foreign Ministers
Belgium Lord Privy Seal 5 725 1 Council of Foreign Ministers
Belgium Secretary of State 4 192 1 Council of Foreign Ministers
Republic of Ireland Secretary of State 10 2,586 1 European Council
Italy Lord Privy Seal 3 1,277 1 Meeting of EEC Foreign Ministers
Italy Secretary of State 7 2,445 1 EEC Political Co-operation Meeting
Belgium Secretary of State 6 318 1 EEC Council of Foreign Ministers
Belgium Minister of State (Mr. Hurd) 2 Nil 1 NATO Council
Belgium Secretary of State 16 3,725 1 NATO Ministerial Meeting
France Minister of State (Mr. Hurd) 1 212 1 OECD Meeting
Luxembourg Minister of State (Mr. Blaker) 2 511 1
Belgium Secretary of State 5 1,080 1 NATO DPC Ministerial Meeting
France Minister of State (Mr. Ridley) 1 234 2
Luxembourg Secretary of State 8 894 1 EC Council of Ministers
Belgium Lord Privy Seal 5 278 1 EC Council of Ministers
Italy Secretary of State 6 4,688 2 Informal Meeting of EC Foreign Ministers
Italy
Federal Republic of Germany Lord Privy Seal 2 1,280 3
Belgium
Belgium Secretary of State 7 512 1 EC Council of Ministers
Lord Privy Seal
Belgium Minister of State (Mr. Hurd) 1 248 1 EC/Turkey Council of Association
Italy Secretary of State 10 9,850 3 European Council
Italy Secretary of State 13 8,600 4 Economic Summit
France Minister of State (Mr. Ridley) 1 236 1
France Minister of State (Mr. Hurd) 1 170 1 WEU Assembly
Luxembourg Secretary of State 13 2,584 4
Italy Minister for Overseas Development 1 931 1 Conference on Agrarian Reform and Rural Development
France Minister for Overseas Development 2 355 1
Luxembourg Minister for Overseas Development 3 669 1 EC Development Council

(b) OTHER COUNTRIES
Country visited Ministers Accomp-anying officials etc. Overall cost to FCO £ Number of days*
Gibraltar Lord Privy Seal 2 605 2
Gilbert Islands Minister of State (Mr. Blaker) 3 6,647 6 Independence Celebrations
Sudan Parliamentary Under Secretary (Mr. Luce) 1 1,652 2
Argentina Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster 1 2,088 5 Anglo Mexican Cultural Festival
Brazil
Falkland Islands Minister of State (Mr. Ridley) 2 7,641 22
Venezuela
Mexico
Antigua
Hong Kong
Malawi Secretary of State 16 36,374 5 (29 June 4 July)
India
Iraq
Syria
Lebanon Minister of State (Mr. Hurd) 2 6 2,445
Jordan
New Hebrides
Singapore
Hong Kong Minister of State (Mr. Blaker) 5 13,007 17
Philippines
Indonesia
Norway Secretary of State 6 2,131 2
Zambia
Tanzania
Mozambique
Botswana Parliamentary Under Secretary 2 9,112 7
Angola
Angola
Nigeria
Liberia

Country visited Ministers Accompanying officials etc. Overall cost to FCO £ Number of days*
Togo Minister of State (Mr. Hurd) 1 876 5 Signature of Lomé II
St. Vincent Minister of State (Mr. Ridley) 1 1,799 4 Independence Celebrations
Bahamas
Panama Minister of State (Mr. Ridley) 1 2,908 5 Bahamas 25th Anniversary Panama Canal Treaty
USA
Israel
Egypt Minister of State (Mr. Hurd) 2 3,517 9
Sudan
Switzerland Minister of State (Mr. Ridley) 1 602 1 Symposium on European Latin American Business Co-operation
Malaysia
Thailand Minister of State (Mr. Blaker) 1 4,713 13 Includes Heads of Mission Meeting
India
Bahrain
Qatar Minister of State (Mr. Hurd) 2 3,452 6
United Arab Emirates
Poland Minister of State (Mr. Blaker) 4 1,779 5
Yugoslavia
USA Minister of State (Mr. Ridley) 2 3,728 3
USA Secretary of State 5 7,135 3
Turkey
Oman
Saudi Arabia Secretary of State 21 50,086 9
Pakistan
India
Venezuela
Colombia
Ecuador Minister of State (Mr. Ridley) 2 7,059 16
Bolivia
Brazil

Country visited Ministers Accompanying officials etc. Overall cost to FCO £ Number of days*
Egypt Lord Privy Seal 3 3,276 5
Tunisia
Zimbabwe Secretary of State 15 40,905 2 Independence Celebrations
Ghana Parliamentary Under-Secretary 2 4,801 6
Sierra Leone
Bermuda Minister of State (Mr. Ridley) 9 8,925 4 Talks on Belize
Mauritius Parliamentary Under Secretary 2 5,513 5
Seychelles
Canada Minister of State (Mr. Ridley) 1 2,488 3
Switzerland (United Nations) Minister of State (Mr. Hurd) 1 530 3 ECOSOC
USA Minister of State (Mr. Hurd) 1 2,270 2 United Nations General Assembly
USA Secretary of State 8 8,876 3 United Nations General Assembly
Switzerland Secretary of State 16 4,307 1 United Nations Conference on Indo/China Refugees
France Minister of State (Mr. Hurd) 1 493 1 Council of Europe Ministerial Meeting
Zambia Secretary of State 18 26,839 9 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting
New Zealand Minister of State (Mr. Blaker) 1 2,912 6 Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Annual Conference
Saudi Arabia
Yemen Arab Republic Minister of State (Mr. Hurd) 2 4,017 7
Kuwait
Switzerland Minister of State (Mr. Hurd) 3 603 2 Ad hoc Olympic Steering Group
Romania Secretary of State 11 10,632 2
Bolivia
Peru Lord Trefgarne (Lord-in-Waiting) 1 3,264 7 Presidential Inaugurations in Bolivia and Ecuador
Ecuador
Cyprus Lord Privy Seal 3 2,055 4
Kenya Parliamentary Under-Secretary 2 4,761 6
Somalia
USA Minister of State (Mr. Ridley) 5 8,709 3
USA
Belize
Honduras Minister of State (Mr. Ridley) 2 266 8
Costa Rica
Nicaragua
Switzerland Minister of State (Mr. Blaker) 3 887 3 In attendance upon Her Majesty The Queen
USA Secretary of State 7 9,119 3
Austria Secretary of State 7 6,104 2 Anniversary of Signing of Austrian State Treaty

Country visited Ministers Accompanying officials etc. Overall cost to FCO £ Number of days *
Switzerland Minister of State (Mr. Blaker) 5 1,033 2 United Nations Conference on Cambodia
Turkey Secretary of State 14 12,057 2 NATO Ministerial Meeting
Kenya Minister of State (Mr. Hurd) 4 808 3 ACP/EC Council of Ministers
Portugal Secretary of State 9 4,916 2 Council of Europe Ministerial Meeting
Malaysia Secretary of State 3 7,766 2 EC/ASEAN Meeting
Malaysia Minister of State (Mr. Blaker) 3 6,679 3 EC/ASEAN Meeting
Austria Minister for Overseas Development 1 929 2 UNCSTD Conference
Kenya
Uganda Minister for Overseas Development 1 3,515 11
Tanzania
USA Minister for Overseas Development 2 3,066 1 United Nations Pledging Conference on Cambodia
Bangkok Minister tor Overseas Development 1 1,204 3 Discussions on refugees
Hong Kong
Tanzania Minister tor Overseas Development 1 3,233 8 Tidewater Conference UNIDO III and visit to Malawi
Malawi
Barbados
St. Vincent Minister for Overseas Development 2 5,458 7 Development and Aid discussion
British Virgin Islands
India
Sri Lanka Minister tor Overseas Development 2 5,220 15 Includes Inauguration of Victoria Dam in Sri Lanka
Nepal
Pakistan
Bahamas Minister for Overseas Development 2 4,370 4 Meeting of Governors of Caribbean Development Bank
Sudan Minister for Overseas Development 1 2,302 6 Refugee Relief Conference
* Based on subsistence.