§ Dr. GodmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the overseas visits of Ministers, indicating if they were accompanied by officials and the costs involved, in each of the past five years. [16500]
Lord James Douglas Hamilton[holding answer 19 February 1997]: Ministers are always accompanied on overseas visits by at least one official. Costs of visits prior to 1995 are not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Since 1992, Scottish Office Ministers have attended 28 Agriculture, Environment and Fisheries Councils in Brussels or Luxembourg. The total costs of attendance at Councils in 1995 and 1996 was £34,861.70. Figures for 1997 are not yet available. In addition, Ministers also undertook the following visits to promote or represent Scotland's interests abroad:
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Date Place Minister Cost (£) 1992 — 20–23 June Thessalonika Allan Stewart — 12–19 September Japan Allan Stewart — 12–19 September Boston Secretary of State —
Date Place Minister Cost (£) 1993 12 February Munich Lord James Douglas-Hamilton — 25–27 March Florida Secretary of State — 6–8 June Madrid Allan Stewart — 17–18 June Lille Allan Stewart — 17–23 September Jedda and Dubai Allan Stewart — 2–9 October USA Allan Stewart — 5–15 October New York and Lord James — Hong Kong Douglas-Hamilton 1994 17 February Oslo Sir Hector Monro — 18 March Holland Lord James Douglas-Hamilton — 26–29 May Crete Lord Fraser of Carmyllie — 2–5 June Corfu Allan Stewart — 8–10 June Golansk Allan Stewart — 14–15 June Munich Allan Stewart — 21–26 August Canada Sir Hector Monro — 8–9 September Brussels Secretary of State — 24 September to 2 October USA Secretary of State — 24 September to 2 October Japan Allan Stewart — 24 October Paris Sir Hector Monro — 1995 15–17 March Rome Secretary of State 1,942,80 20–21 March Brussels Secretary of State 1,956 26–31 August Taiwan George Kynoch 14,508 15–19 September Helsinki Lord James Douglas-Hamilton 2,309.13 24–30 September Boston George Kynoch 8,294 4–5 October Cologne Earl of Lindsay 2,017.66 8–10 October Stockholm Lord James Douglas-Hamilton 3,029.81 17 October Brussels Raymond Robertson 748.50 1–3 November Washington Earl of Lindsay 7,162 7–9 November Oslo and Tromso Raymond Robertson 2,582.40 8–10 November Toronto and Ottawa Earl of Lindsay 7,246.83 24 November Madrid George Kynoch 982 20–22 December Brussels Raymond Robertson 1,748.50 1996 5–March Brussels Raymond Robertson 748.50 8–11 March USA Earl of Lindsay 10,309.10 17–19 April USA and Canada Secretary of State 14,379.94 24 April Brussels Raymond Robertson 1,094.26 15–17 May Cannes Earl of Lindsay 4,872.72 22–30 May Japan/Korea Secretary of State 30,400.90 7 June Bremen Raymond Robertson 1,265.73 27 August to 2 September Atlanta Raymond Robertson 7,246.50 5–8 October Lativa Raymond Robertson 1,272 22 October Paris Earl of Lindsay 1,199.54 25–27 November Oslo Raymond Robertson 1,433.86 2–3 December Denmark Earl of Lindsay 1,177.60 18–19 December Dublin Earl of Lindsay 923.30