§ Mr. Tony Banksasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many trips abroad have been made by Ministers in his Department since May 1979; and what was the cost.
§ Mr. WhitneyThe number of overseas visits made by Ministers in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office from May 1979 to the present time is 429. Not all accounts have been received, but the cost to date is £3,009,941.65. During the same period there have been 54 visits abroad by Ministers of the Overseas Development Administration at a cost of £116,462.
396Wnet earnings after income tax, NIC and child benefit in index number form with 1978–79 equalling 100. The calculations assume that the taxpayer has no reliefs other than the appropriate personal allowance and that national insurance contributions are at the not contracted-out rate. For illustration, earnings have been assumed to increase by 7 per cent., and retail prices by 5 per cent., between 1982–83 and 1983–84.