§ Mr. DonohoeTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on how many occasions in the past year the spouse of a Minister in his Department has travelled abroad at public expense to accompany a Minister on public duties,and what has been the total cost to public funds; and on how many occasions such travel has been undertaken at own cost.
§ Mr. Baldry[holding answer 26 October 1994]: Between October 1993 and October 1994 Ministers in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office travelled abroad accompanied by their spouses at public expense on 13 occasions. The cost to public funds was £27,338. On each occasion the guidelines in "Questions of Procedure for Ministers" were followed and accord with departmental practice which has existed since at least 1955.
There have been no occasions when such travel was undertaken at own cost.