§ Sir J. Mellorasked the Prime Minister which Ministers visited countries outside Great Britain in the course of the Parliamentary Recess wholly, or partly, at public expense; what individuals accompanied each Minister wholly, or partly, at public expense; what was the total cost of each visit to public funds; and what was the purpose of each visit.
§ The Prime MinisterFollowing are the particulars. The list excludes the Law Officers who have been attending the Nuremburg trial.
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Minister. Place and purpose of visit Individuals who accompanied the Minister wholly or partly at public expense. Total Cost of each visit to public funds. Foreign Secretary Rt. Hon. Ernest Bevin. Paris: Peace Conference Four visits. 1. 6 officials and Mrs. Bevin. £1,051 2. 7 officials and Mrs. Bevin. £1,012 3. 5 officials £382 4. 12 officials and Mrs. Bevin. See footnote. Chancellor of the Exchequer Rt. Hon. Hugh Dalton. Canada, for discussions with the Canadian Government; and the United States as the United Kingdom Governor of the International Monetary Fund and the Inter-national Bank. 6 officials See footnote. That part of the cost arising in respect of attendance at the meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the International Bank will be met by those institutions. First Lord Admiralty Rt. Hon. A. V Alexander. Paris: Peace Conference 5 officials See footnote. Secretary for Dominion Affairs Rt. Hon. Viscount Addison. Viscount and Viscountess Addison invited by Canadian Government to visit Canada. Viscountess Addison £250 Secretary of State for the Colonies Rt. Hon. G. H. Hall. Paris: Peace Conference 4 officials £140 Secretary of State for Air Viscount Stansgate Egyptian Treaty negotiations; Cairo 3 officials See footnote. Minister of Labour Rt. Hon. G. A. Isaacs. Canada and U.S.A. primarily to attend Inter-national Labour Office Conference. The Parliamentary Private Secretary and 2 officials. See footnote. Minister of Education Rt. Hon. Ellen Wilkinson. Prague, on the invitation of the Czech Government to attend the opening of the British Film Festival. The Parliamentary Private Secretary and 2 officials. See footnote. Minister of Health Rt. Hon. Aneurin Bevan. Zurich and Berne at the invitation of those Cantons to study Swiss health and housing projects. — Approximately £39 Minister of Agriculture Rt. Hon. T. Williams. Copenhagen, for the Food and Agriculture Conference 1 official Approximately £100 Minister of Food Rt. Hon. John Strachey Denmark, at invitation of the Danish Government and to join Minister of Agriculture at the Food and Agriculture Conference. 1 official Under £100 Postmaster General Rt. Hon. the Earl of Listowel. Sweden and Denmark to study telecommunications services. 1 official See footnote.
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Minister. Place and purpose of visit Individuals who accompanied the Minister wholly or partly at public expense. Total Cost of each visit to public funds. Minister of State Rt. Hon. P. J. Noel-Baker. Paris for the Peace Conference. 1 official £79 Geneva in connection with UNRRA. 3 officials £663 New York for the Economic and Social Council. 3 officials £980 Chancellor of Duchy of Lancaster Mr. J. B. Hynd. Germany to attend Conference of Commanders-in-Chief and Regional Controllers. Parliamentary Private Secretary and 3 officials. £146 Germany to discuss work of the German Coal Control and to open new bridge across Rhine at Dussel-dorf. 1 official £63 Germany and Austria to study conditions in parts of the British Zones and to hold a series of Conferences with Officers of the British Administration. 3 officials £269 Minister of Pensions Rt. Hon. Wilfred Paling. Canada and U.S.A. to inspect the Ministry's Canadian Office and to discuss with the Canadian and U.S. authorities questions of pensions administration and to visit institutions which provide special treatment and services for ex-Service-men. 2 officials Approximately £1,100 Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs Mr. H. McNeil. Paris Peace Conference 2 officials £721 New York Economic and Social Council. 2 officials £874 Financial Secretary to the Treasury Mr. W. Glenvil Hall Paris Peace Conference 2 officials See footnote Secretary for Overseas Trade Mr. H. A. Marquand Prague, Vienna, Rome and Berne for Trade discussions. 4 officials (2 to Prague only). £1,160 approximately. Parliamentary Secretary, Board of Trade Mr. T W Belcher Germany to investigate working of the British Purchasing Agency 1 official £24 apart from military hospitality cost of which cannot be estimated. Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury Rt. Hon. W. Whiteley and Financial Secretary to the War Office Mr. F. J. Bellenger British Army of the Rhine to examine certain problems in the light of local conditions 1 official £150 approximately.
Minister. Place and purpose of visit. Individuals who accompanied the Minister wholly or partly at public expense. Total Cost of each visit to public funds. Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies Mr. A. Creech Jones. East Africa for consultation with Governors and to meet and ascertain views of representatives of the various communities. 2 officials … … £1,166 (estimated). Assistant Postmaster General Mr. W. A. Burke. Canada and U.S.A. to study American telephone and telegraph services. 1 official … … £861 Footnote:— Where Ministers are still away or have only recently returned it has not been practicable to give full particulars as to cost. The list refers to Ministers in the posts held prior to the recent Ministerial changes.