All five Ministers within the Ministry of Defence have made journeys abroad. Details of visits during the 12 months ending 30 June 1980 are set out below. Details of the costs of all the visits are not readily available and I shall write to my hon. Friend shortly.
| EEC COUNTRIES |
| Numbers accompanying |
Number of days |
Minister |
Country |
Object |
| Secretary of State |
… |
Belgium |
7 MOD |
3 |
To attend NATO Eurogroup and Defence Planning Committee. |
|
|
|
1 FCO |
|
Committee. |
| Secretary of State |
… |
Federal Republic of Germany |
1 |
2 |
To visit British Forces |
| Secretary of State |
… |
Federal Republic of Germany |
8 |
2 |
To attend Trilateral Ministerial equipment discussions in Hamburg. |
| Secretary of State |
… |
Netherlands |
12 MOD |
2 |
To attend NATO Nuclear Planning Group |
|
|
|
1 FCO |
|
|
| Secretary of State |
… |
Belgium |
7 MOD |
4 |
To attend NATO Eurogroup and Defence Planning Committee. |
|
|
|
1 FCO |
|
|
| Secretary of State |
… |
Federal Republic of Germany and Berlin. |
3 |
3 |
To express and strengthen Her Majesty's Government's commitment to Berlin and to visit British Forces. |
| Secretary of State |
… |
Belgium |
7 MOD |
3 |
To attend NATO Eurogroup and Defence Planning Committee. |
|
|
|
1 FCO |
|
|
| Minister of State |
… |
Federal Republic of Germany |
1 |
2 |
To visit British Forces |
| Under-Secretary of State (RN) |
… |
Italy |
2 |
4 |
To visit NATO facilities in Naples and La Spezia dockyard |
| Under-Secretary of State (RN) |
… |
Holland |
1 |
2 |
To visit International Defence Expo '80 |
| Under-Secretary of State (RN) |
… |
Belgium (Brussels) |
1 |
1 |
To visit SHAPE |
| Under-Secretary of State (Army) |
… |
Germany |
2 |
2 |
To visit British Forces |
| Under-Secretary of State (Army) |
… |
Germany |
1 |
1 |
To visit an Exericse. |
| Under-Secretary of State (Army) |
… |
Belgium |
1 |
1 |
To visit NATO HQ, SHAPE and EEC |
| Under-Secretary of State (RAF) |
… |
Belgium |
2 |
2 |
To visit NATO HQ |
| Under-Secretary of State (RAF) |
… |
Federal Republic of Germany |
2 |
2 |
To visit RAF Units |
| Under-Secretary of State (RAF) |
… |
Federal Republic of Germany |
2 |
3 |
To have discussions with MOD Bonn and to visit German Air Force. |
| NON-EEC COUNTRIES |
| Minister |
Country |
Numbers accompanying |
Number of days |
Object |
| Secretary of State |
… |
United States of America |
7 |
4 |
At the invitation of the United States Government to discussions and to meet the Senate Armed Service: Committee and senior officials of the United State: Administration. |
| Secretary of State |
… |
China/Hong Kong |
8 MOD |
8 |
At the invitation of the Government of the People's Republic to represent Her Majesty's Government at the opening of the Society of British Aerospace Companies Exhibition in Shanghai and to have discussions with the Chinese Defence Minister and other Chinese officials in Peking; and to visit British Forces in Hong Kong. |
|
|
|
1 FCO |
|
|
|
|
|
3 DOI |
|
|
| Secretary of State |
… |
Norway |
11 MOD |
2 |
To attend NATO Nuclear Planning Group, then: |
|
|
|
1 FCO |
|
|
|
|
|
(1st Phase) |
|
|
|
|
|
6 |
2 |
At the invitation of the Norwegian Defence Minister to view Norwegian defence activities; and to visit HQ Allied Forces Northern Europe. |
|
|
|
(2nd Phase) |
|
|
| Minister of State |
… |
Belize |
2 |
5 |
Familiarisation and to check on progress made in remedying problems. |
| Minister of State |
… |
Cyprus |
3 |
6 |
Familiarisation with the role of British Forces; to gain operational experience of equipment. |
| Minister of State |
… |
Hong Kong |
2 |
7 |
Familiarisation with the role of British Forces and to discuss the Defence Costs Agreement. |
| Minister of State |
… |
United States of America |
3 |
12 |
At the invitation of the United States Government for discussions with the Deputy Secretary of Defence, to meet Senators and Congressmen and to visit United States defence industries and establishments. |
| Under-Secretary of State (RN) |
… |
United States of America |
3 |
7 |
Discussions and liaison with United States Navy |
| Under-Secretary of State (RN) |
… |
Norway |
2 |
3 |
To visit Royal Marines Training Exercises |
| Under-Secretary of State (RN) |
… |
Gibraltar |
2 |
5 |
To visit dockyard |
| Under-Secretary of State (RN) |
… |
Norway |
7 |
4 |
To lead official delegation to the 40th Anniversary of the Battles of Narvik. |
| Under-Secretary of State (Army) |
… |
Hong Kong/Brunei |
2 |
8 |
To visit British Forces |
| Under-Secretary of State (Army) |
… |
Gibraltar |
3 |
3 |
To visit British Forces |
| Under-Secretary of State (Army) |
… |
Berlin |
3 |
3 |
To visit British Forces |
| Under-Secretary of State (Army) |
… |
Cyprus |
3 |
4 |
To visit British Forces |
| Under-Secretary of State (RAF) |
… |
Canada/United States of America |
3 |
9 |
To visit Canadian and United States Defence Ministries and Air Forces. |
| Under-Secretary of State (RAF) |
… |
Norway |
0 |
3 |
To visit Exercise |
| Under-Secretary of State (RAF) |
… |
Cyprus |
2 |
3 |
To visit RAF Units |
| Under-Secretary of State (RAF) |
… |
United States of America |
1 |
7 |
Discussions at the Pentagon and to attend SEALINK 80 Conference. |