HC Deb 19 December 2001 vol 377 cc480-1W
Dr. Kumar

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many times since November 2000 Ministers from his Department have visited(a) the Teesside area and (b) Middlesbrough, South and Cleveland, East constituency to meet locally based businesses. [19056]

Mr. Blunkett

While the Home Office does have a clear remit in relation to security for businesses and the contribution they can make to the civil and social agenda being pursued by the Department, this is organised on a regional or sub-regional basis as well as nationally. It is therefore not possible to disaggregate those businesses that have been invited from the area to take part in such ventures. A number of Ministers did undertake visits on a political, as opposed to ministerial basis, in the early part of 2001.