§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 30 January 1998,Official Report, column 438, if he will list those occasions where his political advisers undertook overseas visits at public expense; and what was the cost of and reason for each visit. [28516]
249W
§ Mr. Robin CookIt is established practice, as with the previous Administration, for Special Advisers to accompany me, and, on occasion, other FCO Ministers, on certain overseas trips in order to advise on policy matters. Since 1 May, a Special Adviser has accompanied me or another FCO Minister on 17 occasions for this purpose. The majority of these were on RAF flights; the real marginal additional expense of their travel could be provided only at disproportionate cost.