§ Mr. RedmondTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list for each of his executive agencies for the last financial year in respect of overseas travel by staff of the agency(a) the cost, (b) the countries visited and (c) the posts held by the staff involved. [2365]
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonAs this question relates to a purely operational matter, my right hon. Friend has asked the chief executive of his agencies to write direct to the hon. Member.
Letter from Michael Ewart to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 5 December 1995:
Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question about overseas travel.The Scottish Court Service became an executive agency on 3 April 1995. Since then, no member of staff has travelled abroad on official business.Letter from K. MacRae to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 5 December 1995:
In response to the Written PQ which you tabled recently, the Secretary of State for Scotland has asked me to provide you with information about overseas travel by staff of the Student Awards Agency for Scotland.It is not part of the normal business of the Student Awards Agency for Scotland to require staff to travel abroad. For financial year 1994–95, therefore, the answer is nil.I trust this is the information you were seeking.Letter from Norman MacLeod to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 5 December 1995:
The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your Question about overseas travel by staff of executive Agencies, so far as the Scottish Office Pensions Agency is concerned.None of the staff of this Agency have so far been required to travel overseas on official business.Letter from Dr. R. K. M. Hay to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 5 December 1995:
169WYou asked the Secretary of State for Scotland for details of the overseas travel undertaken by staff in his executive agencies in the last financial year. I have been asked to reply in respect of the Scottish Agricultural Science Agency since travel by staff at this Agency is a matter for which I, as Chief Executive, have a delegated responsibility.The attached list sets out the posts held by officials at SASA who travelled abroad in the course of their work in financial year 1994/95 and the countries they visited. We have provided a total estimated figure for the travel and subsistence costs of these journeys. We do not have easily available information on the travel and subsistence costs per visit as this was dealt with centrally by The Scottish Office on a Department-wide rather than on an individual Agency basis at that time.Please do not hesitate to contact me if you require further information either about the cost of overseas travel or the purpose of the journeys undertaken.The following staff from SASA travelled abroad during the financial year 1994/95
Post held Country visited Director, SASA Italy Deputy Director, SASA USA France PSO, Head of Official Seed Testing Station (OSTS) Netherlands France Germany HSO, OSTS Netherlands France SO, OSTS Netherlands SSO, Cereals Germany Netherlands Italy PSO, Head of Herbage and Vegetable Netherlands USA (expenses only)Portugal SSO, Herbage and Vegetable Netherlands France Portugal HSO, Herbage and Vegetable Italy Netherlands HSO, Potato Denmark PSO, Head of Plant Health Belgium(x3) PSO, Plant Health USA SSO, Plant Health Germany PSO, Head of Diagnostic and Molecular Biology Netherlands SSO, Diagnostic and Molecular Biology Netherlands HSO, Diagnostic and Molecular Biology Spain SSO, Zoology Belgium SO, Zoology Netherlands The estimated cost of foreign travel and subsistence was £19,000 of which a proportion was reimbursed by the EC.
Letter from P. E. Du Vivier to" Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 5 December 1995:
The Secretary of State for Scotland has asked me to reply on behalf of the Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency to your request for information on overseas travel by staff of executive agencies.So far as SFPA is concerned the information which you have requested for the last financial year is as follows:
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SFPA: Foreign Travel 1994/95 Cost Country visited Staff post £226 Ireland Director of Corporate Strategy and Resources £266 Ireland Legal Affairs Manager £1,3571 Sierra Leone Director of Corporate Strategy & Resources £1,3571 Sierra Leone Controller of Air & Sea Operations
SFPA: Foreign Travel 1994/95 Cost Country visited Staff post £266 Ireland Chief Executive £266 Ireland Director of Operations £474 Belgium Head of Enforcement Policy and Procedures £234 Holland Fishery Officer I £234 Holland Fishery Officer II £190 Norway Legal Affairs Manager £266 Ireland Director of Operations £474 Belgium Chief Executive £474 Belgium Director of Operations? £300 Ireland Fishery Office I 1Travel costs reimbursed by the World Bank. Letter from Graeme N. Munro to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 5 December 1995:
The Secretary of State for Scotland has asked me to reply to your recent question about overseas travel by Historic Scotland staff in the last financial year.I am attaching a table which details the information you have requested. I have included both travel and subsistence costs.The reasons for travel fall into two main categories: the promotion of Historic Scotland's monuments to the travel trade abroad and participation in specialist international conferences by our professional staff. In a number of cases the cost to the Agency has been mitigated by contributions from other sources (eg where a member of Historic Scotland staff has been invited to give a paper).All foreign travel has to be approved by me in advance. Before giving approval I satisfy myself that the expenditure can be justified in terms of the Agency's aims and objectives.I hope this information is helpful to you.
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Countries visited Post held by staff Cost Japan and Thailand Travel Trade Manager 4,800 USA Travel Trade Manager 3,700 Germany Travel Trade Executive 2,291 Netherlands Chief Inspector of Ancient Monuments 400 France Chief Inspector of Ancient Monuments 300 Sweden Inspector of Ancient Monuments Nil Ireland Principal Inspector of Ancient Monuments 200 Greece Principal Inspector of Ancient Monuments Nil Canada Inspector of Ancient Monuments 1,300 India Assistant Inspector of Ancient Monuments 900 Czechoslovakia Director, Technical Conservation, Research and Education 1,723 Norway Director, Technical Conservation, Research and Education 998 Spain Director, Technical Conservation, Research and 1,280
Countries visited Post held by stuff Cost Education Netherlands Conservator 424 Canada Conservator 255 France Senior Architect 368 Belgium Senior Architect Nil Ireland Director, Corporate Planning and Resources 327 Ireland Head of Finance 327 Ireland Systems Manager 327 Ireland Accountant 327 Letter from E. W. Frizzell to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 5 December 1995:
The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your Question about overseas travel by staff of the Scottish Prison Service during the last financial year.The information in relation to travel for which claims were processed by the Scottish Prison Service is as follows:
Cost (£) Countries visited Post held 2,200.00 Brazil Governor in Charge 1,217,43 Canada/USA Area Director
I myself paid a short visit to the Swedish Prison Service during the year, and a Governor spent time with the Hong Kong Prison Service as part of an exchange arrangement. However, I regret that information on the cost of both those visits and details of any other visits made by Scottish Prison Service staff for whom claims were processed by the Scottish Office, have not been made available to me by the Scottish Office on the grounds that the information is not accessible except at disproportionate cost.I am sorry I cannot give you a fuller reply.Letter from Patrick Cadell to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 5 December 1995:
The Secretary of State for Scotland has asked me to reply to your question.To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, if he will list for each of his executive agencies for the last financial year in respect of overseas travel by staff of the agency (a) the cost, (b) the countries visited and (c) the posts held by the staff involved.The answers for the Scottish Record Office are as follows:
- (a) £7,254 was the sum spent on foreign travel in 1994/95.
- (b) Countries visited were Australia, Belgium (EU), Canada, France (including Council of Europe), Greece, Ireland, Italy, Nigeria, Spain, Turkey, and the USA.
- (c) This travel was carried out by the Keeper (Grade 5), the Deputy Keeper (Grade 6), and 2 Curatorial Grade 7s.
Letter front Alan Ramage to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 5 December 1995:
The Secretary for State for Scotland has asked me to reply to your written PQ asking for information on overseas travel by Agency staff in the last financial year and I can confirm that no member of the Agency travelled overseas in this period.