§ Mr. LoughtonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what the purpose and itinerary of his recent visit to the USA was; which officials accompanied him; what the total cost to public funds was; which members of the United States Administration he met; and if he will make a statement. [159225]
§ Mr. Prescott[holding answer 27 April 2001]: I visited the United States from 16 to 21 April.
On 17 April I held bilateral talks on transport issues in Washington with Norman Mineta, the United States Secretary of State of Transport; Jane Garvey, the Administrator at the Federal Aviation Administration, and Congressman James D. Oberstar.
In New York I attended the United Nations Commissions for Sustainable Development from 18 to 20 April, during which I had meetings with EU and other Ministers on climate change. I attended on 21 April high level consultations on climate change chaired by Jan Pronk, the Dutch Chairman of COP6, in which about 35 key countries participated.
I was accompanied by three officials from my Department and one Special Adviser. My costs for the visit were approximately £8,800. Total Government expenditure on Ministerial visits in 1999–2000, the latest year for which figures are available was £4.6 million, compared to £7.9 million for the last year of the previous Administration.