HC Deb 04 December 1995 vol 268 c80W
Mr. Redmond

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list for each of his executive agencies for the last financial year in respect of overseas travel(a) the cost, (b) the countries visited and (c) the posts held by the staff involved. [2323]

Mr. Hanley

The FCO—diplomatic wing and ODA—has two executive agencies, Wilton Park and the Natural Resources Institute.

The details requested of overseas travel in financial year 1994–95 for Wilton Park were as follows:

  1. (a) Cost: £19,472 total.
  2. (b) Countries visited: Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Egypt, France, Germany, India, Italy, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, USA.
  3. (c) Posts of staff involved: the Director of Wilton Park, and four Associate Directors.

The chief executive of the Natural Resources Institute has written to the hon. Gentleman with the information requested in respect of that executive agency. The lists mentioned in his letter have been deposited in the Library of the House.

Letter from Anthony Beattie to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 29 November 1995:

In your question addressed to the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs you asked for information about travel undertaken by the staff of executive agencies. It has been agreed that I should provide this information in respect of NRI.I am enclosing lists of all visits undertaken by NRI staff during 1994–95, with details of countries visited, the grade of the person visiting, dates and costs. You will see that these visits fall into two broad categories: those which are project funded and those which are funded from running costs.The majority of visits (accounting for £1.670 million out of total visits expenditure of £1.872 million) fall into the former category. They are undertaken by members of the Institute's scientific and professional staff (staff grades are shown on the list) in connection with projects, programmes, and other assignments on behalf of the Overseas Development Administration and other clients.Visits funded from running costs are mainly in connection with marketing and business development (the Institute operates on a commercial basis and these are important aspects of our work), professional development and representation of the Institute in a wide variety of scientific fora. Visits are frequently undertaken for a combination of project- and running-cost-related purposes and these elements have been shown separately in the attached lists.