HL Deb 15 December 1994 vol 559 cc139-40WA
Lord Avebury

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What was the cost to public funds of a visit by a team from the Royal College of Defence Studies to Kashmir and the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh; what was the purpose of the visits and who participated in them; whether any similar visits have been by teams from the Royal College of Defence Studies since the beginning of 1992 and if so, whether they will list the visits, giving costs and the personnel involved in each of them, and whether they will place in the Library of the House of Lords the text of the letter sent by the head of the mission Rear Admiral T. J. England to the Chittagong Hill Tracts, to the Chairman of the Khagrachhari District Council and of any other letter written to persons who were met on these visits.

Lord Henley

The visit to Kashmir and the Chittagong Hill Tracts in Bangladesh in September/October of this year formed part of a wider visit to the Indian sub-continent. This was one of a regular series of visits to South Asia by members of the Royal College of Defence Studies (RCDS) to study the current political, socio-economic and military situations of countries in the region.

All the costs of this element of the 1994 tour were met by the host countries, with the exception of an internal return air journey and one night's hotel accommodation. The total cost of these for the British members of the party amounted to £994. Costs for overseas members of the team were borne by their own governments.

The RCDS party was 11 strong and included four overseas members. It was led by Rear Admiral England. The other members were drawn from the Armed Services of the UK and friendly states, the Ministry of Defence and Police Service, at Lieutenant Colonel to Brigadier level, or equivalent.

The letter sent to the Chairman of the Khagrachhari District Council was a handwritten note of thanks. It is normal practice for such a letter to be sent as a matter of courtesy to all those who host RCDS visits. No copies were taken.

No visits to the Chittagong Hill Tracts have been made since the beginning of 1992. Similar RCDS groups visited Kashmir in September 1992 and September 1993. Records of the cost of these visits are not held centrally but the funding arrangements were similar to those for the 1994 visit.