§ Mr. Brothertonasked the Minister of Transport what was the cost to public funds for 20 civil servants to attend a recent Institution of Civil Engineers conference at the Cafe Royal; for what purpose they were attending; and why it was necessary for 20 representatives from his Department to be in attendance.
§ Mr. FowlerThe cost was about £2,500, including attendance fees, travel and expenses. The conference, on transport and energy, was organised by a group of leading professional institutions in the transport field. The subject covers a wide range of the Department's responsibilities and it was necessary for the different interests to be covered in the Department's representation.
However, I believe that the total number of my officials present on this occasion was excessive. I shall be making arrangements to ensure that attendance at conferences is 408W kept to the absolute minimum necessary for operational reasons, and that attendance on the scale which occurred on this occasion is not authorised without my personal approval.