HC Deb 05 July 1995 vol 263 cc233-5W
Mr. George Howarth

To ask the Secretary of State for Education if she will list(a) details of all overseas trips made by her, or ministerial colleagues in her Department, paid for wholly or partly from public funds and (b) the purpose, destination and duration of such overseas trips, which officials accompanied her and the total cost in each case, including that of officials, to public funds for each year since 1992. [32253]

Mrs. Gillian Shepherd

The destination, duration and purpose of ministerial overseas trips involving public funds since 1992 are listed.

Destination Duration (days) Purpose
Germany 1 Bilateral meeting
Spain 2 Bilateral meeting
USA 13 Fact-finding
Ireland 2 Bilateral meeting
Belgium 1 EU Education Council
Norway 2 Informal OECD meeting
Belgium 2 EU Education Council
Belgium 1 EU Youth Council
Pakistan 8 Commonwealth conference
France 2 Informal OECD meeting
Russia 3 EU/Russian conference
Finland 4 Bilateral meeting
Germany 3 EU Informal Education Council
Luxembourg 2 EU Education Council
Luxembourg 2 EU Youth Council
Bermuda 6 Women's Association of Bermuda
Netherlands 1 Informal OECD meeting
Malaysia and Singapore 5 Education Exports
Greece 3 EU Informal Education Council
Germany and Italy 5 Lecture and Presidency of European University Institute
Switzerland 2 Speech at a multilateral symposium
Slovakia 3 Visiting HE institutions
Belgium 2 EU Education Council
Germany 3 Bilateral meeting
USA 4 Informal OECD meeting and Bilateral meeting
Luxembourg 2 EU Education Council
Germany 1 Visit a MOD service school
New Zealand and Canada 17 Bilateral meeting
Denmark 2 EU Informal Education Council
France 1 Informal OECD meeting
Belgium 2 EU Education Council
France 1 Informal OECD meeting
Luxembourg 1 EU Education Council
Switzerland 2 Education Equipment Conference
France 3 OECD Science meeting
Mexico 8 Education Exports

Total departmental expenditure on foreign travel and foreign subsistence for 1991–92 to 1994–95 is listed:

Financial year Expenditure £
1991–92 371,435
1992–93 308,158
1993–94 226,033
1994–95 156,803

The additional information requested could not be obtained without incurring disproportionate cost.