Minister for Competition and Consumer Affairs

HC Deb 25 July 1997 vol 298 cc808-9W

Mr. Redwood

To ask the President of the Board of Trade when the Minister for Competition and Consumer Affairs stopped writing a column for the travel trade press; and on whose instructions. [10461]

Mrs. Beckett

My hon. Friend the Minister for Competition and Consumer Affairs wrote a fortnightly column for a leading travel newspaper,Travel Weekly from 15 September 1993 until 31 April 1997. The paper is read primarily by Britain's leading travel agents and tour operators.

Since 5 May, any contributions to Travel Weekly, or any other travel trade press have been on an occasional and entirely unpaid basis, in accordance with the guidance in paragraphs 94–95 of "Questions of Procedure for Ministers".