HC Deb 26 October 1994 vol 248 cc625-6W
Mr. Donohoe

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food on how many occasions in the past

Mrs. Browning

Under the Protection of Badgers Act 1992, this Department is responsible for issuing licences to interfere with badger setts for the purposes specified in sections 10(2) and 10(3).

The Badgers Act 1991 came into force in October 1991 and the first licences were issued in February 1992. The number issued since then and the purpose for which they were issued are as follows:

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. Jack

Over the last year, there have been no occasions in which public funds have been used to finance the cost of spouses accompanying Ministers on overseas visits, and no occasion on which such travel took place at own cost.