§ Mr. Lathamasked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will make a statement on the outcome of the secondment of new towns staff to Trinidad, and the visit to Sri Lanka, announced by the hon. Member for Hampstead (Mr. Finsberg) in reply to the hon. Member for Melton on 1 May 1980; and how these visits were financed.
§ Mr. StanleyAt present there is one new towns officer on secondment in Trinidad. This secondment was made under a memorandum of understanding with the Government of Trinidad and Tobago which provides for the full costs to be paid by that Government on a pre-funded basis.
In September 1979, following a request from the Government of Sri Lanka, my Department arranged for a two-man team to undertake a fact finding mission to that country. The Sri Lankan Government subsequently decided not to pursue the matter. The cost of the fact finding visit was £2,050 and was met from Departmental travelling and subsistence funds.