§ Mr. Tony BanksTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 24 June,Official Report, column 28, if he will provide a breakdown of the main spending involved in the miscellaneous expenditure of £4,600 incurred by his Department on the visit of the Duchess of Kent to the Seychelles on 3 to 6 December 1993; and if he will break down the travel cost to show the methods and people carried. [35875]
§ Mr. Rifkind[holding answer 8 July 1996]: The main expenditure was for clothing, which cost £4,300 for the whole party.
Commercial flights were used. Four staff accompanied the Duchess of Kent, at a total cost for the whole party of £15,500.
§ Mr. BanksTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 24 June,Official Report, column 26, if he will itemise the main spending involved in the miscellaneous expenditure of £7,500 on the official visit by the Duke and Duchess of Kent to Hong Kong from 25 November to 2 December 1994. [35740]
§ Mr. Rifkind[holding answer 8 July 1996]: The main miscellaneous expenditure was for clothing, which cost £7,400 for the whole party.
§ Mr. BanksTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 24 June,Official Report, column 27, if he will itemise 609W the main spending involved in the miscellaneous expenditure of £7,400 on the official visit by the Duke of Edinburgh to the Caribbean in March 1993. [35742]
§ Mr. Rifkind[holding answer 8 July 1996]: The main headings of expenditure in the miscellaneous categories were as follows:
- Clothing for the whole party: £1,800
- Expenditure on royal yacht: £4,400
§ Mr. BanksTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 24 June,Official Report, column 27, if he will give details of the methods and costs of travel for the visit by the Prince Edward to Swaziland between 4 and 7 September; and if he will give a breakdown of the main spending involved in the miscellaneous expenditure of £4,900. [35873]
§ Mr. Rifkind[holding answer 8 July 1996]: The party travelled by commercial flight at a total cost of £11,600. The main expenditure in the miscellaneous heading was as follows:
- Clothing for the whole party: £2,200
- Reconnaissance visit: £2,600
§ Mr. BanksTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 24 June,Official Report, column 29, if he will give a breakdown of the main spending in the expenditure of £6,300 incurred by his Department arising from the visit by the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester to Mexico on 20 to 23 November 1995. [35877]
§ Mr. Rifkind[holding answer 8 July 1996]: The main headings of expenditure in the miscellaneous category were as follows:
- Clothing for the whole party: £3,000
- Reconnaissance visit: £3,300
§ Mr. BanksTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 24 June,Official Report, column 28, if he will provide a breakdown of the miscellaneous expenditure of £8,100 incurred by his Department for the visit of Princess Alexandra to Hong Kong and India on 14 to 27 October 1994. [35874]
§ Mr. Rifkind[holding answer 8 July 1996]: The main expenditure in the miscellaneous category was for clothing for the whole party at £7,000.
§ Mr. BanksTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 24 June,Official Report, column 28, if he will give the dates of the visit and the engagements undertaken by the Princess Margaret to San Francisco in 1995; and if he will give a breakdown of the main spending involved in the miscellaneous expenditure of £10,300 incurred by his Department as part of the visit. [35876]
§ Mr. Rifkind[holding answer 8 July 1996]: The visit by Princess Margaret to San Francisco was from 23 to 29 June 1995.
Engagements included attendance at events celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the United Nations, a concert by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and official receptions including for the English Speaking Union.
610WThe main headings of expenditure in the miscellaneous category were as follows:
- Clothing for the whole party: £7,200
- Reconnaissance visit: £2,200
§ Mr. BanksTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 24 June,Official Report, columns 26–27, if he will list those countries visited by the Duke of Edinburgh in the Caribbean in March 1993 and Her Majesty the Queen in the same area in 1994. [35741]
§ Mr. Rifkind[holding answer 8 July 1996]: In 1993, the Duke of Edinburgh visited Dominica, Montserrat, St. Christopher and Nevis, Anguilla, the British Virgin Islands and the Turks and Caicos Islands.
In 1994 the Queen visited Puerto Rico, Anguilla, Dominica, Guyana, Belize, the Cayman Islands, Jamaica, the Bahamas and Bermuda.
§ Mr. BanksTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 24 June,Official Report, column 27, if he will provide a breakdown of the main items comprising the £13,400 miscellaneous expenditure incurred by his Department in respect of the visit by the Princess of Wales to Nepal on 2 to 6 March 1993; and how much of the expenditure related to clothes for the princess. [35872]
§ Mr. Rifkind[holding answer 8 July 1996]: The main headings of expenditure in the miscellaneous category were:
- Clothing for the whole party: £4,800
- Reconnaissance visit: £7,000
It would be inappropriate to provide further details. High-profile and worthy representation of Britain abroad inevitably involves additional expenditure on clothes by members of the royal family and certain of those accompanying them. It is right that such expenditure should be met by the Government for visits undertaken at our request.