§ Mr. HallTo ask the Prime Minister if he will place in the Library a list of Ministers who have requested prior assent from the Prime Minister under "Questions of Procedure for Ministers", paragraph 74, for payment from public funds to meet the expenses of spouses accompanying Ministers on overseas visits; and if he will indicate which requests were granted and which were refused for each year since 1990. [17494]
§ The Prime Minister[holding answer 1 March 1996]: Complete records of such requests prior to 1995 have not been retained. The following Ministers were accompanied by their spouses on overseas visits at public expense in accordance with "Questions of Procedure for Ministers" from 1995 onwards.
15W
Country Minister 1995 2–10 January Bangladesh/India/ Pakistan Mr. and Mrs. Hurd 25–26 January Paris Mr. and Mrs. Forsyth 30 January–5 February Japan Mr. and Mrs. Heseltine 3–6 February France Mr. and Mrs. Gummer 2–5 March USA Mr. and Mrs. Rifkind 18–19 March Carcassone Mr. and Mrs. Hurd 19–26 March South Africa Mr. and Mrs. Hurd 7–9 April France Mr. and Mrs. Clarke 7–12 April Zimbabwe/South Africa/Namibia Mr. and Mrs. Rifkind 28–30 April Germany Mr. and Mrs. Rifkind 21–31 May USA Sir Patrick and Lady Mayhew 27 May–6 June Latin America Mr. and Mrs. Hunt 17–27 August Caribbean Mr. and Mrs. Newton 12–19 September Russia Mr. and Mrs. Eggar 16–22 September Cuba/Jamaica Mr. and Mrs. Taylor 18–29 September Australia/New Zealand Sir Patrick and Lady Mayhew 29 September–1 October Spain Mr. and Mrs. Clarke 30 August–15 September Asia Mr. and Mrs. Hanley 10–12 October Slovenia Lord and Lady Cranborne 20–22 October Spain Mr. and Mrs. Gummer 1–8 December Australia Lord and Lady Fraser 29 December–10 January UAE/Far East Mr. and Mrs. Portillo 29 December–9 January Indian sub-continent Mr. and Mrs. Howard 1996 2–5 January India Mr. and Mrs. Arbuthnot 15–25 January Hong Kong/China Mr. and Mrs. Nelson 8–15 April Asia Mr. and Mrs. Hanley 12–16 April Bulgaria/Italy Mr. and Mrs. Clarke