§ Mr. BurnsTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, how many times special advisers have accompanied Ministers on overseas visits in each of the last five years; which countries were visited; and what the total cost of each individual visit was. [47143]
§ Ms Rosie WintertonSince May 1997, the expert adviser for the Lord Chancellor's Department has accompanied a Minister overseas only once. On that occasion the Lord Chancellor, a senior Departmental official, the expert adviser, and a private secretary went to Brussels on official business. The total cost of the visit for the whole party was £1,670.00. All travel by special advisers is undertaken in accordance with the rules set out in the Ministerial Code and the Civil Service Management Code.