HC Deb 13 January 1997 vol 288 cc29-32W
Mr. Hall

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the occasions when Cabinet Ministers on official visits to(a) Singapore, (b) Thailand, (c) Malaysia, (d) Japan and (e) South Korea have used (i) the official residence and (ii) a residence other than the official residence since 1994, indicating the cost involved. [9960]

Mr. Hanley

The official visits made by Cabinet Ministers to Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Japan and South Korea since 1994 are shown in the table.

We are still awaiting information from other Departments which may add to this list. I shall write when it has been received.

Official visits by Cabinet Ministers to Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Japan and South Korea 1994 to 1996
Date Minister Destination Accommodation Cost £
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
1994
11 to 20 September Secretary of State Thailand and Japan Residence, Bangkok x two nights; residence, Tokyo x two nights
1996
26 August to Secretary of Japan Residence,
4 September State Tokyo x one night
27 October to 2 November Secretary of State Thailand Residence, Bangkok x three nights
There were no visits made by the Secretary of State in this period to Singapore, Malaysia or South Korea

Official visits by Cabinet Ministers to Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Japan and South Korea 1994 to 1996
Date Minister Destination Accommodation Cost £
Ministry of Defence
1996
January Secretary of State Singapore and Malaysia Residence, Singapore; residence, Kuala Lumpur
January Secretary of State South Korea Hotel Guest of Government
September Secretary of State Japan Residence, Tokyo
Department of Health
1995
13 to 17 March Secretary of State Japan and South Korea Residence, Tokyo; Hotel, Seoul
11 to 14 September Minister of Health Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia Hotel, Singapore; residence, Bangkok; residence, Kuala Lumpur 859.93
1996
14 to 20 September Minister of Health Singapore, Thailand, Japan and South Korea Hotel, Singapore; Residence, Singapore; Hotel, Kuala Lumpur; Hotel, Tokyo; Residence, Tokyo; Residence, Seoul 424.34
385.42
601.91
Lord Chancellor's Office
1994
8 January 1994 Lord Chancellor Singapore Residence, Singapore
Department of National Heritage
1996
27 to 30 May Secretary of State Japan Residence, Tokyo
Department of Transport
1995
18 to 24 April Secretary of State Japan and South Korea Residence, Tokyo x two nights
Hotel, Nagoya x one night (20) £425.22
Hotel, Kyoto x one night £232.91
Hotel, Seoul x three nights £252.00
1996
10 to 11 April Secretary of State Singapore Residence, Singapore
29 to 30 July Secretary of State Malaysia Hotel, Langkawi x one night Residence, Kuala Lumpur one night £155.00
Welsh Office
1994
6 to 9 September Secretary of State Japan Hotel, Osaka x one night Residence, Tokyo three nights no cost available
1995
10 to 15 September Secretary of State Japan and South Korea Residence, Tokyo x two nights Hotel, Osaka x two nights Residence, Seoul x two nights no cost available

Official visits by Cabinet Ministers to Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Japan and South Korea 1994 to 1996
Date Minister Destination Accommodation Cost x £
1996
9 to 14 September Secretary of State South Korea and Japan Residence, Seoul x one night
Residence, Tokyo x two nights
Hotel, Osaka, x one night no cost available
Hotel, Heppu, x one night no cost available
Hotel, Osaka x one night no cost available
Scottish Office
1996 May Secretary of Japan and Residence,
State South Korea Tokyo
Hotel, Osaka Residence, Seoul £893.00

Mr. Hall

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the official residences owned by his Department in south America; and if he will indicate the occasions when Cabinet Ministers on official visits to each country have used(a) the official residence and (b) a residence other than the official residence since 1994, indicating the cost involved. [9955]

Mr. Hanley

Official residences are owned in the following cities: Asuncion, Belmopan, Bogota, Brasilia, Buenos Aires, Caracas, Guatemala City, La Paz, Lima, Montevideo, Panama City, Quito, Rio de Janiero, San Jose, San Salvador, Santiago, Sao Paulo.

Information currently at hand indicates the following visits by Cabinet Ministers to the area since 1994:

Lord Chancellor

Chile 25 to 28 May 1996 (accommodation at Santiago residence);

Peru 29 to 31 May 1996 (Lima residence);

Secretary of State for the Home Department

Argentina 22 to 24 August (Buenos Aires residence);

Bolivia 25 to 28 August 1994 (La Paz residence);

Colombia 29 August to 2 September 1994 (Bogota residence);

Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs

Brazil 4 to 11 April 1994 (Maksoud Plaza hotel);

Sao Paulo Copacabana Palace hotel, No cost—guest of Government
Rio de Janiero, Brasilia residence)

Brazil and Bolivia 8 to 17 April 1996 (Brasilia residence);

Copacabana Palace hotel, Rio de Janiero No cost—guest of Government
Hotel Moferraj Sheraton, Sao Paulo

Lord Presidence of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons:

Ecuador, Paraguay, Uraquay and Brazil, 7 to 22 August 1996 (Quito residence, Asuncion residence, Montevideo residence, hotel International Brasilia (Cost not available));

Secretary of State for Education and Employment:

Chile and Colombia, 28 May to 4 June 1996 (Residences at Santiago and Bogota but for one night in hotel—cost £362);

Secretary of State for Defence:

Chile December 1996 to January 1997 (Santiago residence).

We are still awaiting information from other Departments which may add to this list. I shall write separately when it has been received.