HC Deb 22 January 1998 vol 304 cc625-6W
Mr. Wilshire

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 12 January 1998,Official Report, column 23, if he will list the equivalent figures for the use and cost of VIP facilities at Heathrow Airport for 1996. [24500]

Mr. Tony Lloyd

The information is in the following table.

(a) Number (b) Cost (£)
May 902 May 172,755.55
June 1,097 June 210,102.92
July 1,176 July 225,233.40
August 1,109 August 212,401.22
September 1,375 September 263,346.87
October 934 October 178,884.35
November 1,043 November 199,760.57

The figures include use of VIP facilities by the British Council and the Bank of England. They also include VAT. The figures include use by Foreign and Commonwealth VIP visitors as well as HMG Ministers.

Mr. Wilshire

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list by(a) month and (b) Minister the number of times each Government Minister has used VIP facilities at Heathrow Airport in the course of their official travel since 1 May. [24494]

Mr. Lloyd

Details of FCO Ministers are as follows:

Secretary of State Mr. Lloyd Mr. Fatchett Mr. Henderson
1997
May 3 — 2 3
June 5 — 3 4
July 5 1 4 3
August 1 — — 1
September 2 1 3 4
October 2 — — 6
November 4 1 3 4
December 1 1 — 2
1998
January 1 1 2 —

Baroness Symons has not used the VIP facilities at Heathrow Airport during this period.

My Department does not have readily available a breakdown of use by Ministers from other Government Departments. We shall ask Heathrow Airport Limited to prepare one and my noble Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Baroness Symons, will write to the hon. Member accordingly.