§ Dr. Summerskillasked the Prime Minister which Government Ministers, on what occasions and for what purposes, found it necessary in the public interest to be accompanied by their spouse at public expense when travelling overseas on official duties during 1980.
§ The Prime MinisterExpenses of spouses accompanying Ministers on overseas journeys may be charged to official funds only when the presence of the spouse is in the public interest.
In many cases no extra travelling expense is involved because the numbers attending or other considerations warrant the use of an RAF aircraft.
The information requested is as follows:
7W
Destination Date Reason THE PRIME MINISTER Greece/Yugoslavia 22–26 September Official Visit HOME SECRETARY Australia 4–18 April Official Visit FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH SECRETARY Turkey, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and India 9–17 January Official Visit France 2–3 February Bilateral talks Romania 12–14 March Bilateral talks Portugal 10 April Council of Europe meeting Zimbabwe 16–18 April Independence celebration USA 3–6 May Official visit Austria 15–16 May State Treaty anniversary Italy 21–23 June Venice economic summit Turkey 23–26 June NATO Ministers meeting Latin America/Caribbean 30 July to 8 August Official visit Sweden/Finland 19–22 August Official visit Itlay/Tunisia 14–23 October Accompanying Royal State visit Hungary/Poland 28–31 October Official visit The Netherlands 5–6 December Bilateral talks Belgium 10–12 December NATO Council meeting CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER Sicily 20–21 April Finance Minister meeting Luxembourg and West Germany 9–10 June Meeting of governors of the European Investment Bank and reception Bermuda and USA 23 September to 3 October Commonwealth Finance Ministers meeting/IMF annual meeting SECRETARY OF STATE FOR DEFENCE West Berlin 25–27 February Official visit Belgium 11–14 May NATO Defence Ministers meeting Norway 2–6 June Official visit LORD PRIVY SEAL Cyprus 19–23 April Official visit Egypt/Tunisia 8–13 May Official visit MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD Venezuela 12–19 September Export promotion visit
Destination Date Reason SECRETARY OF STATE FOR WALES USA 23 September to 12 October Development Corporation for Wales mission ATTORNEY GENERAL Barbados 24 April to 6 May Commonwealth Law Officers conference MINISTER OF STATE, FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE (Mr. Ridley) Guatamala/Belize/Trinidad 10–16 August Official visits; Caribbean heads of mission conference MINISTER OF STATE, DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY USA 2–9 May Offshore technology conference