HC Deb 01 February 1978 vol 943 cc199-200W
Mr. Sproat

asked the Secretary of State for Transport, further to his answer to the hon. Member for Aberdeen, South on 16th December 1977 that he was unable to say how many journeys had been made by civil servants of his Department to other parts of the EEC on business consequent on the United Kingdom's membership of the EEC, if he will now take steps to discover and have this information published in the Official Report together with the cost of these journeys.

Mr. William Rodgers

Strict control is exercised over all journeys abroad by officials of my Department, but records are not held in a form which would enable the particular information sought by the hon. Member to be assembled without considerable effort and cost. I can, however, offer the hon. Member the information that the approximate combined cost to my Department and to that of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment for such visits by members of the staff was: 1976, £79,000; 1977, £54,000.