HC Deb 20 January 1995 vol 252 cc761-2W
Mr. Byers

To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to his answer of 22 November,Official Report, column 76, concerning overseas travel at public expense by spouses of Ministers, what proportion of the spouses' visit was dedicated to official visits and business.

Mr. Heseltine

Visits by Ministers overseas involve a full programme of official engagements. Many of these will not be appropriate for a spouse's participation. A spouse's visit will therefore include some of these engagements as well as separate engagements organised by the British embassy. This has been normal practice under successive Governments and applied in the case of all the visits by DTI Ministers referred to in my answer of 22 November.