§ Mr. DoddsTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many visits to the United Kingdom, other than to Northern Ireland, have been carried out by the President of the Irish Republic since 1997; and how they were categorised. [35332]
§ Mr. MacShaneSince 1997 the President of Ireland, Mary McAleese, has carried out eight working visits to the UK, other than to Northern Ireland. She has also carried out a number of private visits, on which the FCO does not keep records.
§ Mr. DoddsTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how visits by foreign heads of state are categorised; who decides this; and what criteria are applied. [35341]
§ Mr. MacShaneVisits by foreign heads of state are categorised as State, Guest of Government, Working or Private.
State visits are at the invitation of Her Majesty the Queen, on the advice of the Royal Visits committee. Guest of Government visits would usually be at the invitation of the Prime Minister, on advice from an inter-departmental visits committee. Working or private visits take place on the initiative of the visitors or at the invitation of third parties.