§ Mrs. ShephardTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) if he will list the occasions on which he has taken an RAF flight since May 1997; and for what purpose; [67413]
(2) if he will list the occasions on which he has used a helicopter at public expense since May 1997; and for what purpose. [67415]
§ Mr. Prescott[holding answer 25 January 1999]: I refer to the answers given by my hon. Friend the Minister for Transport in London, on 19 November 1998, Official Report, columns 838–39, and 27 November 1998, Official Report, column 41. The RAF flights undertaken by me personally were those on 3 May and 23 July 1997 and 22 January, 23 March, 16 and 22 August and 26 September 1998. Of those, the flight on 3 May 1997 was made by helicopter, as were parts of the journeys from Belfast to Omagh and return on 16 and 22 August 1998. In addition I have made helicopter trips on 14 July 1998 to the opening of Capital One Bank in Nottingham, and on 7 October 1998 on a tour of emergency towing vessels as part of the launch of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency.