HC Deb 08 April 1982 vol 21 cc491-2W
Mr. Latham

asked the Minister for Trade whether he will set out in tabular form details of the visits undertaken by the present Minister for Trade and his immediate precedessor since May 1979 to overseas countries in their official capacities; on which visits the Minister was accompanied by United Kingdom businessmen; what was the cost to public funds of each visit; and what is the value of the orders obtained by United Kingdom firms, where known, as a result of each visit.

Mr. Peter Rees

[pursuant to his reply, 7 April 1982,c. 334.]: Details of official overseas visits my immediate predecessor and I have undertaken since May 1979 are as follows:

Minister for Trade—Overseas Visits from May 1979 to date Mr. Parkinson Non EEC
Date and Countries Visited Cost £
25 May–8 June 1979—Singapore, Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia †3,735
10–11 September 1979—FRG 333
21 September–2 October 1979—Venezuela, Mexico 3,043
10–14 October 1979—Netherlands, Iraq 1,417
16–17 October 1979—France 389
22–26 October 1979—USSR 1,373
19–23 November 1979—Canada 3,095
5–8 February 1980—Algeria* 826
10–12 March 1980—GDR* 924
11–18 April 1980—UAE, Kuwait* 2,692
28 April–3 May 1980—Egypt* 2,209
21–24 May 1980—Zimbabwe 3,316
4–15 August 1980—Argentina, Chile* 6,209
31 August–6 September 1980—Hong Kong* 5,192
29 September–5 October 1980—Kenya 1,917
13–17 October 1980—Romania 1,592
26–31 October 1980—Israel* 3,671
10–14 November 1980—Poland* 2,298
24 November–4 December 1980—Cameroon, Gabon* 3,838
4–5 February 1981—Switzerland †588
2 April 1981—France 274
7–10 April 1981—Yugoslavia 832
3–9 May 1981—USA 4,973
12–18 June 1981—Saudi Arabia* 3,814
28 June–10 July 1981—Mexico, Columbia, Peru* 6,315

EEC
Date and countries visited Cost £
10 July 1979—Brussels 221
24 July 1979—Brussels 1,106
29–30 October 1979—Luxembourg 321
18–19 December 1979—Brussels †296
28–29 January 1980—Brussels 282
18 March 1980—Brussels 339
6 May 1980—Brussels 313
22 July 1980—Brussels 370
15–16 September 1980—Brussels 350
15–16 December 1980—Brussels 325

Date and countries visited Cost £
16–17 February 1981—Brussels 404
17 March 1981—Brussels 379
18–19 May 1981—Brussels 346
12–13 July 1981—Brussels 594

Mr. Rees—Non EEC
Date and countries visited Cost £
23 September–7 October 1981—Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia* 6,676
9–11 October 1981—Algeria 1,193
2–6 November 1981—Nigeria* 3,106
9–18 December 1981—China 5,052
7 February 1982—France 693
13–23 February 1982—Jordan, Syria, Iraq* 2,874
26 March–4 April 1982—Bahrain, Qatar, UAE, Oman* †2,968

EEC
Date Cost and countries visited £
25–27 October 1981—Luxembourg 269
9–10 November 1981—Brussels 399
17 November 1981—Brussels 280
26–27 November 1981—Brussels 290
7–8 December 1981—Brussels 520
25–26 January 1982—Brussels †185
24–25 February 1982—Brussels †310
* Minister accompanied by United Kingdom businessmen.
† Travel costs only available.

It is not possible to be precise about the value of orders so far obtained by United Kingdom firms as a result of each visit, since the benefit is likely to be long term.