§
Mr. Arbuthnot
[holding answer Monday 10 July 1995]During the period in question, Ministers in my Department have carried out the following overseas visits:
Secretary of State for Defence |
Date |
Destination |
Purpose |
Aircraft type |
Financial year 1993–94 |
April |
|
|
|
20 to 23 |
USA |
To represent Her Majesty's Government at opening of Holocaust Museum, and to have bilateral talks |
Civil |
May |
16 to 21 |
Far East (Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei and Singapore) |
Bilaterals |
RAF |
25 |
Belgium (Brussels) |
NATO Ministerial Meeting |
RAF |
August |
2 to 4 |
Bosnia/Croatia, Italy |
To visit British Forces in Bosnia nad Croatia, and for bilateral talks in Croatia and Italy |
RAF |
September |
19 to 24 |
CIS (Russia and Ukraine) |
Bilaterals |
RAF |
October |
20 to 21 |
Germany (Travemunde) |
NATO Ministerial meeting |
|
22 |
Germany (Bielefeld) |
To visit British Forces |
RAF |
23 to 24 |
Germany (Bonn) |
To participate in Bertelsmann Forum |
|
24 to 26 |
France |
Bilateral |
|
November |
21 to 22 |
Austria (Vienna) |
Anglo-German Summit |
RAF |
25 |
Germany (Bonn) |
NATO Ministerial |
RAF |
December |
8 to 9 |
Belgium (Brussels) |
NATO Ministerial |
RAF |
January |
5 to 10 |
Far East Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, (Bahrain) |
Bilateral discussions |
RAF |
February |
4 |
Germany (Laarbruch, Bruggen) |
To visit British Forces |
RAF |
5 |
Germany |
Conference on Security Policy |
RAF |
6 to 7 |
Italy/Former Yugoslavia |
To visit British Forces |
RAF |
10 to 11 |
Sweden |
Bilateral |
RAF |
19 to 20 |
Italy |
Visit British Forces |
RAF |
March |
17 to 18 |
Former Yugoslavia |
Visit to British Forces |
RAF |
22 |
Norway |
Engagement with the King of Norway |
RAF |
23 |
Netherlands |
Bilateral |
RAF |
1371W
Secretary of State for Defence |
Date |
Destination |
Purpose |
Aircraft type |
Financial year 1994–95 |
April |
1 to 5 |
Nepal |
To visit British Forces |
RAF |
12 to 15 |
USA |
Bilateral |
Civil |
May |
5 to 8 |
Bermuda |
To visit British Forces |
RAF |
9 |
Luxembourg |
WEU Ministerial |
RAF |
23 to 25 |
Belgium (Brussels) |
NATO Ministerial meeting |
RAF |
26 |
USA |
Witness missile firing |
RAF |
27 to 28 |
Belize |
To visit British Forces |
RAF |
June |
2 to 3 |
Switzerland |
Bilateral |
RAF |
6 |
France |
D Day |
RAF |
September |
|
|
|
8 |
Germany |
Berlin commemorations |
RAF |
11 |
Denmark |
Bilateral |
RAF |
28 to 30 |
Spain |
NATO Ministerial |
RAF |
October |
2 to 5 |
Baltic States (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania) |
Bilateral |
RAF |
20 to 24 |
Israel |
Bilateral |
RAF |
24 to 25 |
Jordan/Kuwait |
Bilateral |
RAF |
28 |
Germany |
To attend BAOR drawdown parade |
RAF |
30 to 1 November |
USA |
Bilateral |
RAF |
November |
18 |
France |
Summit |
RAF |
December |
5 to 6 |
Former Yugoslavia |
Visit to British Forces |
RAF |
13 to 14 |
Belgium (Brussels) |
NATO Ministerial |
RAF |
January |
16 to 18 |
Middle East (Saudi Arabia Abu Dhabi, Dubai) |
Bilateral talks |
RAF |
February |
3 |
Germany |
Visit German Forces |
RAF |
4 to 5 |
Germany (Munich) |
Security Policy Conference |
RAF |
12 to 15 |
Poland, Czech Republic, and Slovakia |
Bilateral talks |
RAF |
March |
|
|
|
2 to 5 |
USA |
Quadrilateral meeting |
Civil |
Financial year 1995–96 |
|
|
April |
|
|
|
7 to 13 |
Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe |
Bilaterals |
RAF— £133,404 |
28 to 30 |
Germany |
Ditchley Foundation Conference |
RAF— £6,796 |
May |
14 to 15 |
Portugal |
WEU Ministerial |
RAF—£4,970 |
June |
3 |
France |
Ministerial meeting |
RAF—£3,271 |
1372W
Secretary of State for Defence |
Date |
Destination |
Purpose |
Aircraft type |
June 8 to 9 |
Brussels |
NATO Ministerial meeting |
RAF— £2,782 |
12 to 13 |
Sweden and Finland |
Bilateral |
RAF—£5,594 |
19 to 21 |
USA |
Bilateral and WEU Conference |
Civil |
Minister for the Armed Forces |
Date |
Destination |
Purpose |
Aircraft type |
Financial Year 1993–94 |
5–9 April |
Czech Republic, Hungary, Bulgaria and Slovakia |
Bilaterals |
RAF |
13–15 May |
Germany |
Visit British Forces |
RAF |
19 May |
Rome |
WEU Ministerial meeting |
Civil |
26 July |
Luxembourg |
WEU Ministerial meeting |
RAF |
28–30 July |
Germany |
Visit British Forces |
RAF |
13–16 September |
Italy, Bosnia and Croatia |
Visit British Forces |
RAF |
20–29 September |
Belize, USA and Brazil |
Visit British Forces, Prime Minister and members of Belizean government, meetings with members of the US administration |
Civil |
12–14 October |
Hungary |
Bilaterals |
RAF |
15–18 November |
Cyprus, Gibraltar, Sardinia |
Meet British Forces and Chief Minister, Gibraltar |
RAF |
Financial Year 1994–95 |
23 February |
Brussels |
Visit SHAPE Headquarters |
RAF |
13–15 June |
Bosnia |
Visit British Forces |
RAF |
30 June-1 July |
Norway |
HQ AFNORTH closure ceremony |
RAF |
19 August |
Brussels |
Represent UK at Mandred Worner's funeral |
RAF |
1 September |
Germany |
Visit British Forces |
RAF |
4–8 September |
Oman |
Bilaterals |
Civil |
26–28 September |
Bosnia |
Visit British Forces |
RAF |
1–7 October |
Hong Kong Brunei |
Visit British troops and Bilaterals |
Civil |
7–10 November |
Cyprus Gibraltar |
Visit British troops |
RAF |
5 December |
Germany |
Bilaterals |
RAF |
3–6 January |
Bahrain |
Anglo Bahrain Defence Committee and Bilaterals |
Civil |
25 January |
Furstenfoldbruck, Germany |
British/German Peacekeeping seminar |
RAF |
28–29 February |
Norway |
Visit British Forces on NATO Exercise |
RAF |
15 March |
Germany |
Visit British Forces |
RAF |
1373W
Minister for the Armed Forces |
Date |
Destination |
Purpose |
Aircraft type |
FINANCIAL YEAR 1995–96 |
21–25 April | Bosnia/Turkey |
Visit UK troops and represent the UK government at Gallipoli commemorations |
RAF— £26,973 |
2–3 May |
Hamburg, Germany |
Attend VE commemorations |
RAF |
The RAF cost of this visit was borne by The prince of Wales, who was accompanied by the
Minister for the Armed Forces.
Minister of State for Defence Procurement |
Date |
Destination |
Purpose |
Aircraft type |
FINANCIAL YEAR 1993–94 |
5 April |
Germany |
Bilateral talks |
RAF |
16–18 April |
Oman |
Promoting defence sales |
Civil |
28June |
Netherlands |
Promoting defence sales |
RAF |
16 September |
Poland |
To accompany HRH the Duke of Edinburgh |
RAF |
8–10 October |
Kuwait |
Promoting defence sales |
Civil |
6–7 November |
Dubai |
Promoting defence sales |
RAF |
18 November |
Germany |
Promoting defence sales |
RAF |
15–17 December |
Saudi Arabia |
Promoting defence sales |
Civil |
20–22 December |
Bosnia |
Visiting British troops |
RAF |
6–9 January |
Oman |
Promoting defence sales |
Civil |
28–31 January |
Riyadh |
Promoting defence sales |
Civil |
FINANCIAL YEAR 1994–95 |
26–29 April |
USA |
Bilateral talks |
Civil |
12 September |
Germany | Bilateral talks |
RAF |
18–21 September |
Far East |
Five power defence arrangements ministerial meeting |
Civil |
27–29 September |
USA |
Bilateral talks |
Civil |
22–23 October |
UAE |
Bilateral talks and promoting defence sales |
Civil |
2 February |
France |
Bilateral talks |
Civil |
5–6 February |
Germany |
Bilateral talks |
RAF |
17–20 March |
UAE |
Bilateral talks and promoting defence sales |
Civil |
23 March |
France |
Bilateral talks |
RAF |
FINANCIAL YEAR 1995–96 |
21–23 April Kuwait |
|
Promoting defence sales |
Civil |
1374W
Minister of State for Defence Procurement |
Date |
Destination |
Purpose |
Aircraft type |
27 April |
France |
Bilateral talks |
RAF— £1,807 |
19 May | Germany |
Bilateral talks |
RAF— £2,152 |
12 June |
France |
Visit to Paris air show and bilateral talks |
RAF— £1,430 |
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Defence |
Date |
Destination |
Purpose |
Aircraft type |
FINANCIAL YEAR 1993–94 |
20 April |
RAF Bruggen |
Disbandment of RAF Germany |
RAF |
23 April |
Germany |
Meet Federation of Army Wives BAOR |
Civil |
12 May |
Bielefield, Germany |
Visit ACE Rapid Reaction Corps |
Civil |
24 June |
Germany |
Disbanding of the Northern Army Group and 2nd Allied Tactical Air Force |
RAF |
14–17 September |
Turkey |
Defence Sales visit to IDEF |
Civil |
29 September |
Bielesfeld, Germany |
Federation of Army Wives Conference |
RAF |
21–23 October |
Albania |
Bilateral |
RAF |
1–3 December |
Russia |
125th Anniversary of St. Petersburgh Declaration followed |
RAF |
6–9 December |
Malaysia |
Defence sales visit to LIMA 93 |
Civil |
13 December |
Normandy |
Looking at sites for D Day Celebrations |
RAF |
19 January |
Grafenwoker, Germany |
View Combined Arms Tactical Trainer |
RAF |
20–22 February |
Singapore |
Bilateral |
Civil |
28–30 March |
Bosnia |
Visit British troops |
RAF |
FINANCIAL YEAR 1994–95 |
19–20 April |
Malaysia |
Bilateral |
Civil |
6 June |
Normandy |
D Day |
RAF |
29 June |
Sennelager, Germany |
British Forces Germany Environmental Day |
RAF |
26–27 August |
Slovakia |
50th Anniversary of the Slovak National Uprising |
RAF |
3–7 October |
Greece and Slovenia |
Defendory 94 and Bilateral |
Civil to Athens then RAF |
19 October |
Herford, Germany |
Federation of Army Wives Conference |
RAF |
7–11 November |
Turkey |
Bilateral |
Civil |
1375W
Total Ministerial expenditure on commercial foreign air travel for 1993–94, 1994–95 and 1995–96 to date is as follows: |
Financial year |
Expenditure £ |
1993–94 |
73,767 |
1994–95 |
72,455 |
1995–96 to date |
5,660 |
Before April 1995 the cost of RAF flights was not separately identified and, together with the numbers of officials, could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
On visits of this kind, accommodation is normally provided by Her Majesty's Ambassador, Higher Commissioner, other Government representative, or by the hosts.