§ Mr. WilshireTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list those visits made within the United Kingdom since 1 May on which(a) he and (b) other Ministers within his Department have been accompanied under Rule 83 of the Ministerial Code indicating (i) those persons accompanying and (ii) the cost to public funds. [23761]
§ Mr. Robin Cook[holding answer 19 January 1998]: (a) (i) I was accompanied by my partner, Ms Gaynor Regan, on two visits within the UK. She accompanied me to CHOGM in Edinburgh on 23–27 October 1997. We travelled by RAF aeroplane. On 14 November 1997 I flew on a RAF aeroplane for an emergency meeting on Iraq with the US Secretary of State, Mrs. Albright. Ms Gaynor Regan accompanied me on that RAF aeroplane to Edinburgh. We both flew back commercially.
(a) (ii) There was no cost to public funds on either occasion.
(b) (i) No other FCO Minister has been accompanied by his or her partner on any visit within the UK.
(b) (ii) None.