HC Deb 07 March 1996 vol 273 c347W
Mr. Hall

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if she will place in the Library a list of all overseas visits made by all Ministers of her Department, the Department for Education and the Department of Employment since 1990, including(a) details of the places visited and brief reasons for the visit, (b) details of the size, composition and cost to public funds of the delegation and (c) the names of non-ministerial members of each delegation and the capacity in which each was present. [17489]

Mr. Robin Squire

[holding answer 1 March 1996]: For information relating to the former Education and Employment Departments covering the period April 1992 to July 1995, I refer the hon. Member to the replies given by my hon. Friends to the hon. Member for Knowsley, North (Mr. Howarth) on 5 and 6 July 1995, Official Report, columns 233 and 360 respectively. Information prior to April 1992 is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. I have arranged for details of the information requested since the Department for Education and Employment was created in July 1995 to be placed in the Library. It is not our normal practice to give the names of the delegates who accompany the Minister. However, a delegation would normally include a private secretary and those officials needed to provide advice on policy and technical issues.